Under Black Wings
by Tom Sewell
Summary: In this sequel to "Sailor Moon's American Dream," the rest of the senshi go to the USA when Usagi's father tells them he wants their help.
1. News From America

**Under Black Wings, Part One**

**A Sailor Moon Fan Fiction by Thomas Sewell**  
[**sewell_thomas@hotmail.com**][1]

...... = _thought quotation_

* * *

**Preface **

**__**

Under Black Wings is the second book in my series that started with **_Sailor Moon's American Dream_**. It begins more than a year after the end of **Sailor Stars**, when the last of the Inner _Senshi_ are finished with high school.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Rei and Usagi **

MOST OF THE SENSHI were, most of the time, ordinary people. Even mysterious Sailor Pluto seemed to exhibit a range of human foibles when she was around long enough, and Rei, for one, suspected that a lot of her "mystery" was really just a ruse to keep the younger _senshi_ off-balance so she could boss them when she wanted to. But even Rei was never sure whether Meiou Setsuna was a person who'd lived out an ordinary life before, or just a pose that Sailor Pluto was assuming, for now. 

But the mystery of Sailor Pluto was not on Rei's mind or any of the other _senshi _as summer approached. What was really bothering everyone was the absence of Sailor Moon. She hadn't been kidnapped by aliens or anything else they would have been ready for. She'd moved away. Tsukino Usagi had gone with her family to the United States because her father had taken a job there. No one was really sure why this had happened; some of the _senshi _thought it was because Usagi's father had lost a lot of money and was too poor to live in _Juubangai_ or even Japan any more; others (like Rei) thought he was worrying about money like he always did and had gone to make more. Rei backed up her theory with pictures of the house they had in America: it was much larger than her old house, and the lot it was on was almost as big as the one for her grandfather's shrine. 

But still, there was something wrong. Usagi wrote less and less, even to Naru-chan, who had been her friend since they were both tiny. Rei--and the other _senshi,_ for that matter, grew closer to Naru over the months since she seemed to know more about Usagi than anyone else. Rei grew so upset at one point she told Naru that Usagi was Sailor Moon--and then Naru replied that she had known for a long time, and hadn't told because she didn't want anyone to worry. 

Rei thought she had hit bottom with that, but she soon felt even worse. Minako, who had seemed have settled back and become even more childish than Usagi after all the _senshi_ had acknowledged (grudgingly) the leadership of Sailor Moon, proved to be cannier than all of them in finding out what was really going on with Usagi. Minako had looked up Mika, a girl Shingo had been friendly with, and discovered that he had been writing to her ever since he had moved to the United States. Shingo had told Mika that his sister was having a lot of trouble at her new school. He said that she seemed to be trying hard, but that her grades were terrible, worse than ever. 

That seemed to explain a lot. Rei wrote her a very special letter, being careful not to use any _kanji_ that Usagi would have to look up--Rei had finally resigned herself that Usagi would never really learn enough of the many thousands of ideographs used in most serious Japanese literature. Rei was also careful with the content, trying to tell Usagi that she sympathized with her problems but that she should keep trying, without nagging or pointing out how poor her schoolwork had always been. 

Rei got finally got a letter from Usagi two weeks after sending her special letter. It was not what she expected at all. It wasn't very long, but it didn't have to be. 

She happened to be with Naru-chan and Minako at the temple when the letter came. They watched her read it, and stared at her for a long time until she looked up and noticed. 

"What is it?" asked Minako. Naru had that question and more in her eyes. 

Rei finally anwered, "Usagi has broken up with Mamoru. She was with another boy, and she is going to have that boy's baby." 

The other _senshi _were all flabbergasted by the news from America. Usagi _cheating on Mamoru?_ When they called, Usagi just blandly confirmed that she was having a baby by someone else, and Mamoru wouldn't say anything, except ask if they had any news about how Usagi was doing. 

The _senshi_ had lives of their own to get on with, and a fair number of enemies to fight, and not just in Japan. But there just wasn't any resolution of the bustup between Usagi and Mamoru. 

Setsuna, Sailor Pluto, was absent until five months after the awful news arrived. Then she returned, just in time (as always), to take over permanent guardianship of Hotaru--her father, who had never really recovered from the damage caused by the demon who had possessed him, finally died. 

Hotaru seemed fine until after the funeral, when she asked why Chibi-Usa had not even come to the funeral. Setsuna told her--and the others--that Chibi-Usa could never come back from the future again. Rei sensed there was more, but Setsuna said nothing else about Chibi-Usa's fate. Hotaru became very sad, and no one could seem to cheer her for very long. 

Then Hotaru got a letter from Usagi. Hotaru read it many times. She wouldn't show it to anyone else, but she said it was mostly about how much Usagi missed Chibi-Usa, and how much she wanted to be as good as Chibi-Usa was. This did _not_ sound _anything_ like the Usagi any of the other _senshi _knew; Usagi loved her daughter from the future, but she'd also fought with her and competed with her. They were more like jealous sisters than mother and daughter. 

"She's sounding like a mother," said Mako, when most of them were together soaking in a public bath. 

Naru, not a _senshi _but in on most of their secrets by now, said, "She's going to be a mother, and pretty soon." 

"Sooner than you," remarked Haruka--who was sitting _away_ from Michiru today. Naru blushed, but giggled, remembering how Umino had taken the news. 

"Or you," remarked Michiru, which led to the explanation of _why_ they were sitting apart . . . 

Then, they all got letters from Usagi's father--and airline tickets. He said he was worried about how she was behaving, and he wanted her friends to be with her when the baby came, and perhaps awhile longer, if they could manage. He also asked them if they could find out what had happened to Usagi's cousin Usagi--he said that his daughter seemed to miss her cousin very much, and he and Usagi's mother and even her brother were worried because they hadn't heard from cousin Usagi for a long time. 

Since they all knew Usagi's father was a great worrier about money, they knew she must _really_ be in trouble, if he would pay for all their tickets just to help her. 

Ami and Umino sent e-mail to Mamoru, but he replied that Usagi still wouldn't talk to him, and he didn't feel he could tell anyone what her family had said to him in confidence. He did tell them they should come, though, if they could. 

They all took the same plane. It was from a charter company they had never heard of: "Interversal Airways (part of the family of Grey Companies)," according to the airsickness bags. It had _propellers._ Rei made a remark about the plane looking older than her grandfather. Mako went pale for a moment, but Minako comforted her--and somehow kicked Rei in the shin, silently reminding her that Mako was afraid to fly and that Rei had said about the worst possible thing at the worst possible time. 

Setsuna said the aircraft looked in fine shape, told them that its turboprop engines couldn't be more than a few years old, and went on to explain the entire history of the Lockheed Constellation. She was starting her second hour before she mentioned that she'd flown one. Hotaru said to Rei when Setsuna visited the restrooms, "Mama Setsuna is a pilot. Never talk about planes with her unless you want to hear about them for hours and hours." Rei considered jumping out of the plane, but pretended to be asleep instead. But Setsuna went on talking to the others as soon as she returned from the restrooms. 

Setsuna was still talking on the bus from the airport where they'd landed--it wasn't near any city. The bus went on for a long time, and then they had to get off and wait for _another_ bus. And Setsuna was _still_ talking about planes and flying. 

Rei hid out in the ladies room for awhile, and then Ami came in. "Is she _still talking?_" Rei asked. 

Ami was using her miniature computer. "Oh . . . yes." 

Rei groused, "How long were we on that plane? _Four hours?_" 

Amy murmured, "Closer to five . . . "

Rei exclaimed, _"Five hours? _And how . . . what are you doing?" 

Ami finished whatever she was doing, and turned her face and her attention to Rei. "Hino-san, you don't know much about flying, do you?" 

"I know more than I ever want to know, now," said Rei.

"How long did you expect it to take to get to America?" asked Ami.

"I don't know," sighed Rei. "Two or three hours on a _real_ airplane, I guess." 

"You are wrong, Hino-san," said Ami. "It takes over twelve hours on a regular jet." 

"Twelve?"

"Usually more. Rei, the _Concorde_ couldn't cross the Pacific Ocean as fast as we just did. The _Concorde _is_--_" 

"I know what the _Concorde_ is . . . really?" 

"Really," explained Ami. "I fell asleep on the plane so I didn't notice before, but I just figured out how long it took, accounting for all the time zone changes. I'll ask Setsuna about it, since she's the pilot among us." 

"NO! She'll _never_ stop talking then!" But Rei was too late to keep Ami from leaving, and too late to keep her from asking that question. 

But Setsuna just said, "Yes, I noticed." And she didn't say anything else about the flight, or planes, or flying. 

Rei was curious enough to ask the bus driver if he'd ever heard of "Interversal Airways" and it turned out he had. "I get passengers from them maybe every other month." That was really all he knew. But he was curious about _them_; it wasn't often he picked up a group to go to a private home. 

They'd all seen pictures of Usagi's American home, which was much larger than her old home in _Juubangai. _But they all wondered how they were going to fit in--there were eleven of them, including Naru and Umino and Minako's mother, who had insisted on coming (or maybe Minako had really insisted--she had times where she _needed_ her mother). 

But instead of stopping at that house, the bus pulled up in front of a mansion. It was a little after six in the morning--the sun wasn't up yet, but it was light enough to see. There was frost on the ground. No one came out to meet them. 

"Are you sure this is right?" Rei asked the driver. 

"Yes. Look, they even put a picture of the house on my manifest." He took their luggage out of the belly of the bus, but he did not take it to the door. "I'd like to stay and talk, but I have a pickup to make. Have a pleasant stay in the old U.S. of A!" And the driver got back on the bus, and drove it away. 

Rei went to the door and rang the bell. She rang it two more times before it opened. Three girls came out. They were colored--three different shades of brown, but they looked a lot alike. They were all in pajamas and robes. The tallest of them of them said to Rei, "You woke Sue up, you know. I hope you're happy." The girls helped them with their luggage. Shingo and a colored boy who looked like the girls came out and helped too. 

Rei wanted to see Usagi immediately. Shingo told her where she was, but he said, "Don't yell at her, please?" 

_Shingo is concerned for her? Is she _dying?, thought Rei.

Rei made her way to Usagi's room, simply abandoning her luggage. She had a thousand questions, but when she saw Usagi, all she could do was go to her bed and hug her. It wasn't for a long time that she noticed there were two strangers in the room along with Usagi and Ikuko, her mother. The strange lady looked about the same age as Ikuko. The unfamiliar girl, who had short strawberry-blonde hair, otherwise resembled the woman. The woman had the same bittersweet look in her eyes as Ikuko--but the girl was looking her with some resentment. _Why? She doesn't know me yet._

The others started coming in. Ikuko started to tell them that Usagi needed to rest, but Usagi said no, come in--in fact, she _ordered_ her mother to let them in. This was so unlike Usagi that Rei pulled back a little to look at her--and then she noticed that the strange girl wasn't the least surprised. Nor was the woman, nor even Ikuko, who let the incident pass. 

Rei had to leave Usagi's bed to allow the others to have their turns. She looked around the rest of the room, avoiding the resentful girl for the moment--she would fight with her later, if she wanted, but not _here . . ._ Rei looked at the photos. She recognized some of them from Usagi's room in her old house in Tokyo's Juuban neighborhood--but there were newer ones she did not recognize. She noticed that one of them showed Usagi and the strange girl--and Chibi-Usa. There was also a boy, who looked like the strange girl--a _brother? _He was standing close to Usagi--and holding her hand. There was another strange girl, who looked about the same age as Chibi-Usa--only Chibi-Usa looked _older_ than Rei remembered her. She was so mystified by the picture, she picked it up. Then she was startled to hear someone speaking from just behind her. 

"That's me, and Jimmy, my brother. The girl's name was Kimberly." The girl took the picture from her hands, and set it back in its place. "You should go settle in. Usagi had a bad night. She really needs to sleep some more." 

Usagi_ needs to _sleep _more? _thought Rei.

Rei settled in to a room. Even the mansion had limits with so many people, so she shared a room with Ami. They were tired from the time change, so they took naps. Rei was surprised that it was nearly three when she woke up. Ami was gone. She went downstairs. She didn't see anyone at first, but she heard someone ironing somewhere. She followed the sweet smell of spray starch, and found it was Usagi. "Just doing up some of _otousan_'s things," she said. 

"Should you be doing this?" asked Rei.

"I'm not sick, Rei-chan, I'm pregnant." 

Rei noticed that there were a lot of freshly ironed clothes on hangars, not just men's things but women's and children's. She saw that Usagi was very deft with the iron, finishing a shirt in a short time--in fact, doing it faster than Rei could have. "You must have been ironing for a long time." 

"Oh, a couple of hours." 

"No, what I mean is--you're good at this." 

"Oh. Thank you. There _are_ a few things Usagi the big lazy klutz can do. But you are right; it took me a long time to learn." 

Rei was rocked back on her heels by Usagi's remark. Rei remembered all the times she had nagged and shown up Usagi's lazy, carefree ways. She wanted to tell her that she had wanted her to try harder, that she could be so much better, if only--but she didn't. What she finally said after she recovered was: "Where is everyone?" 

"_Okasan_ is asleep," said Usagi, continuing to iron. "Shingo is visiting a friend. Everyone else is shopping. _Okasan_ thought you would all need a few small things to be more comfortable here, but she didn't want to leave me alone . . . Maybe they went to the movies, too. Every big shopping mall here has movie theaters." 

"Why didn't you go? Why didn't they wake me up?" 

Usagi said, "I tried to wake you up. I couldn't." 

"But why didn't you go?" asked Rei.

Usagi seemed to press down extra hard on the collar she was working on. "I just did not want to go." 

Rei decided to leave it at that, for now. "Your father went with them?" 

"Oh. No, _otousan_ is in England now. He's taking pictures of their Royal Family." 

"Really?" Rei smiled. "If only he knew . . ." 

Usagi stopped ironing. 

"What's wrong?" asked Rei.

Usagi looked at her, and Rei saw in her the queen she must be someday. She seemed much older. In her eyes, Rei saw infinite sadness. Yet she was not crying; the corners of her eyes were not even dewed. She spoke calmly and evenly "The future is not as we thought it was. I will never reign as a queen. So you don't have to hold your tongue around me. I'm just me. Just Usagi." 

Rei said, "But you are the Moon Princess. You are Sailor Moon." 

Usagi said, "Part of me was once the Moon Princess. But I will not be a queen." 

"You are Sailor Moon!" insisted Rei.

"Yes. But I will not be a queen. I won't be Mamo-chan's queen." 

"Mamo-chan will forgive you. I _know_ him." 

Usagi smiled, slightly, sadly. "Yes, you do, Rei-chan, and you love him. Why don't you go to him? You could make him yours. You would be good for him. You would make a fine queen, if that is still to come." 

Usagi went back to her ironing while Rei thought about what she had said. Finally Rei asked, "Is this _my _fault? Am I why you and Mamo-chan split up?" 

"No. I saw a long time ago that you would always be in Mamo-chan's heart, and he in yours. But _he_ did not cheat on _me_. If you want him, you are going to have to work very hard to get him. Make sure you are ready to give all of yourself. Don't treat him like Yuuichirou." 

"I never--" 

Usagi shook her head. "You did not lead Yuuichirou on. But you knew he loved you. You should have told him you couldn't love him, the way he loved you. Told him so he would believe it." 

Rei felt something running down her cheek--a tear. She brushed it away, and said, "I wasn't sure I didn't love him . . . that way." 

"Because you also love Mamo-chan . . . but Yuuichirou would have forgiven you, I think . . . What happened to him, Rei-chan? When I found he wasn't at Hikawa Shrine any more, I asked your Grandfather. He said he didn't know. I knew better than to ask Rei-chan." 

Now Rei wasn't bothering to wipe the tears away. Usagi looked into Rei with her too-old eyes, and Rei could find no more words. 

Usagi he picked up a clean dish towel from one of the baskets around her, and dabbed at Rei's face, while embracing her about as closely as her swollen belly would allow. Then she said, "What happened to Yuuichirou-chan? It has been a long time now. Would you tell me?" 

Rei answered. "Yes, I will tell you . . . Yuuichirou could not stand to be around me, his heart was breaking. He asked me to make up my mind. I got angry with him and told him he was not someone to order me. He was gone the next morning." 

"And after that?" asked Usagi.

"I didn't find him for a long time, "said Rei. "Then I saw him one day with an old man in a park. A very old man, older than my grandfather. There was also a lady with them, much younger than the old man." 

"I didn't go up to them. But I watched them for a long time, until Yuuichirou left them. I could see he was going to a street vendor to get something, and the vendor was far off. So I went up to the lady and the old man and asked about Yuuichirou. They were his mother and father. I told them who I was to Yuuichirou and how to find me if they wanted, and left before he came back." 

"A long time after that, I got a letter from Yuuichirou's mother. She said that his father had died. She explained that his father had always been hard and mean to Yuuichirou, and hadn't understood his ways. But when the old father got sick, Yuuichirou was the only one of his children who came back to be with him for any time, until he died." 

"But his mother also said in the letter that she didn't want me to see Yuuichirou. She said I had been very cruel to him, and that I didn't deserve anyone as kind and good as her son. She said if I saw him again, I would only hurt him again. She also said that Yuuichirou's father had left him more money than any of his other children, and that if I tried to see him, she would tell him I was probably only after his money." Rei looked up into Usagi's eyes. "Do you think she was right? Mostly right? That I would have nothing to do with Yuuichirou just because he had no money of his own? Whenever I thought of trying to see him, I would think about what his mother said." 

Usagi shook her head. "I think it is because of Mamo-chan. You always hide what is in your heart. You even hide it from yourself." 

Rei started to become angry at this intrusion into her soul. "How do you--" 

Usagi was still calm, and her cool words doused Rei's anger. "I have learned some new things . . . Rei-chan, you must tell Mamo-chan what you feel. You must let yourself feel." 

"No, it would be wrong . . . you are the one for Mamoru." 

"I will not marry Mamoru. I will not have his child." 

"It is your _duty!_" Rei asserted.

Usagi drew away from her, aroused at last. "No, it is _not_ my duty. I will not be queen. I will not marry Mamoru. I will _never_ have his child." 

"_Why_ are you _doing_ this?" 

Now Usagi's eyes seemed older than Sailor Pluto's had ever seemed. "You cannot understand, Rei. You will never understand, until you are a mother." Usagi took the iron, unplugged it, and put it into a metal rack on the wall, wrapping the cord around the handle. "I will speak no more of this. But I tell you, you need to see Mamo-chan. Not that I expect you to take any of _my_ advice." Then she left Rei. 

As Rei watched Usagi leave, she saw that Ikuko was standing just outside the door to the laundry room. Usagi's mother looked at Rei for a long moment before turning and following her daughter.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Haruka and Michiru **

HARUKA WISHED she had her motorcycle. Everyone seemed to have a question for her, except Michiru. She wanted to just ride, alone, for hours, at night. To lose herself in the wind and the feel of the road under her wheels. To get ahead of herself, if only for a little while. 

Most especially, she wanted to escape Usagi. From the second she'd looked into Usagi's eyes, she knew something had changed--_everything_ had changed. 

On the face of it, Usagi had done exactly as Haruka might have expected. She'd drifted into an affair, ruined her relationship with Mamoru--what _did_ he see in her?--and now everyone else was doing everything to help her out of her mess. Poor Usagi, she just never seems to get it right, for very long. 

But that was not what Haruka had found. Usagi was now as steely as Haruka pretended to be. Haruka looked at her, and saw a queen. And yet she did not not want to be a queen. The only thing consistent with the Usagi she had known was that she was inconsistent. 

And what was that new girl to Usagi? Haruka had found out the mundane facts about the other guests right away, while Rei didn't seem to know until the end of their first week. The woman was named Ms. Ferrara. The new girl who was around Usagi the most was Nancy, her daughter by her first husband. Ms. Ferrara's son, Nancy's brother--the guy in the picture Haruka had noticed Rei pick up--he would be the father of Usagi's baby. But he was dead, in a plane crash. 

The colored girls and the boy were Ms. Leary's stepchildren; her current husband, a Mr. Ferrara, was their father. She also had a baby boy of her own and a four-year-old girl, both by her current husband. Haruka had a rare moment of laughter when she found that Rei had assumed that the colored children were servants--she watched Ms. Leary tear into Rei for twenty minutes. Haruka actually admired Rei in many ways, but she thought that Rei needed to be brought down to earth frequently, and that she especially needed to learn to watch and listen more before opening up her big mouth. 

Nancy and all the older Ferrara children would go through some martial-arts type exercises every day but Sunday--Shingo joined them, usually, and Minako began joining in after a few days. Haruka found that she always watched them. It looked more like exercise than real training--except for Nancy, and sometimes Felicia, the oldest. Felicia looked like she could fight, and Nancy looked like she could fight _well. _Possibly as well as Minako, and _that_ was saying quite a lot. 

None of that for Haruka, of course. Every doctor she'd seen had advised her first to consider an abortion. Once they were past that, they all said she was far from an ideal candidate for motherhood, and that if she wanted to carry to full term, she would have to change her lifestyle. Martial arts were out. 

Why was she going through with it?

Haruka couldn't explain it to Michiru--not that she would listen, now. 

Haruka had thought she would talk to Usagi about it--but the Usagi she had come to see wasn't here. 

Haruka decided to take another walk, to get out of the house and away from everyone for awhile. As she opened the door, she heard a voice call out behind her. "You should wear a warmer coat." 

It was Michiru. She handed Haruka a heavy jacket, with a hood, and then walked away, past Usagi and Nancy, saying nothing more. 

Usagi had something to say. "Haruka, are you going to be gone long?" 

"I do not know," said Haruka.

Usagi said, "It will be dark in less than an hour. A man has raped several women this month. And there are always people who will rob you here." 

Haruka tried to brush off Usagi's concerns. "I will take care of myself. Don't--" 

Usagi cut her off with what was clearly an order. "Nancy, please go with her. Get Tenou-san back by dinnertime." 

* * *

Michiru watched Haruka walk away with Nancy from an upstairs window until they were out of sight. As she headed for her room, she noticed that the door to the room Nancy shared with oldest stepsister was open. After a moment to think about it, she went inside. 

There were two dressers, and it took Michiru a moment to figure whose was whose. What first caught her eye was a garland of tiny paper cranes hanging over the mirror of one dresser. She remembered seeing Nancy wear it as a necklace when she had gone out with her stepsisters to do something together. 

There was also a colored drawing on the dresser, in a glass frame. It was done in pastels. It didn't approach the quality of her own work, but it was good work for an amateur . . . Michiru picked it up. It showed a young man in a military uniform waving. Behind him was a crowd of people, and behind them, and at the end of the windowed corridor he was inside, there was an airplane. It was an effective composition: it conveyed a particular moment, a parting, a farewell . . . a _final_ farewell . . . and it was signed by Usagi. 

"Don't fool with that," said a voice from behind. 

Michiru turned, and saw that it was Felicia, Nancy's oldest stepsister. She wondered again why Nancy would share a room with her _oldest_ stepsister, rather than the youngest. 

"Put it down," said the tall, powerful-looking girl. "And could you tell me why you're in here? I don't seem to remember inviting you." 

Michiru refused to show alarm. "I did not know Usagi was still doing art. If she studied, she could be quite good." 

"I don't care about that. Sue made that for Nancy. Nancy would kick your ass if she saw you fooling with it, and don't be so sure I won't! What are you doing in here?" 

Michiru set the picture down. "I wanted to know more about your sister. _Nancy_." 

"Well, here's an idea: try talking to her. You--" 

Michiru cut Felicia off. "Where did she get those cranes?" 

Felicia, who was even taller than Haruka, was not as sure of herself, at least at that moment. Instead of continuing her verbal assault, she responded to Michiru's question. "Sarah made that for her. For her birthday." 

Michiru asked, "Who is Sarah? And you said _Sue_ made that drawing? Usagi signed it." 

Felicia explained, "Sue is what we called her when she stayed with us. And Sarah is what we called her little sister." 

"Sarah?" _Little sister?_

"Yes, Sarah. I guess you would know here as . . . uh . . . kibi? No, _chibi. Chibisa. _I think that's her Japanese name." 

"Chibi-Usa?" 

"Yes, I think so," said Felicia. "But she was Sarah to us. Even Sue called her Sarah all the time. Kimberly was the only one who used . . ." 

Michiru was impatient enough to show it. "What about Chibi-Usa? Usagi will not tell us something about her." 

Felicia drew herself up. "If Sue hasn't told you, I won't. Besides, I don't know it all . . . Nancy does, and maybe my stepmom. But they won't tell you, either. If Sue won't tell you, we won't. So, why don't you get out of here? Why don't you go after your girlfriend? Oh, whatsa matter, you don't want me snooping into _your_ private business? Or do you want to try to whip my ass? You probably can, but I'll mark up that _perfect_ face of yours some. Come on. Wanna dance?" The girl got into a stance. 

"I prefer waltzes," Michiru replied, and walked out of the room. 

* * *

Haruka would have like to outdistance Nancy, which she should have been able to do, but she had made a prior commitment: she wouldn't overstrain herself, and risk losing her baby. _Her_ baby. "You are mine, not his," she said to the new life within herself. 

"What?" asked Nancy, a few steps behind her, as she had remained since they started out. 

"Nothing," said Haruka.

"No, I heard you. You said something belonged to you, not 'him.'" The girl drew up alongside her. "Whatcha mean? Thinking about _the guy?_" 

Haruka had to smile. "Yes. I did not know you understood Japanese." 

Nancy said, "Enough to pick up on that . . . Was it a big romance? Or did you just get drunk or something?" 

"It was . . . a mistake," Haruka said at length.

"Want to tell Auntie Nancy? I can keep a secret." 

Haruka asked, "Why should I tell you? And why do you want to know?" 

Nancy replied, "I don't know, and I don't know. But it's cold and dark and you can't just keep this inside of you. So tell me what's going on and we can go back to the house and get warm. And eat. I skipped lunch and I'm starving." 

"Those are good reasons. We will go back to the house." 

"And _the guy?_" asked Nancy after they had taken a few steps on the return journey.

Haruka said, "He is a musician, like Michiru. I took some lessons from him. He is really quite famous. I did not know how famous until later. I also did not know he had a wife and many children until later." 

"Fancy he forgot to mention that. How many children with his wife?" 

"Five. How many more--at least one, in four months, if I can carry my daughter to term." 

Nancy grew serious. "This is really important to you, isn't it?" 

Haruka walked on in silence for several paces. "I have dropped my college courses. I have spent a lot of my savings on doctors. I have probably lost Michiru forever. Yes, I would say my child is important to me." 

After a few more paces, Nancy said, "_The guy_--Is he going to give you any support?" 

Haruka said, "I will not ask for it." She could have said a great deal more, but didn't.

When they came to a little overlook with a stone bench, Haruka stopped and sat down. Nancy asked, "Are you okay? Should I get a cab? 

Haruka leaned back, easing the strain on her back for a moment. "No. Nothing is wrong. I just want to stop for awhile . . . and I want to know, how do you know so much about this? Do _you_ have any children?" 

"No. I just pay attention to people who do, now. And, believe it or not, I'm still a virgin!" 

"Would that I could say the same," said Haruka, using a line from a poem in English she had burned a few weeks before. She got up. "I think I can walk the rest of the way. But--how were you going to call a cab?" 

Nancy produced a cellphone. "My mom never lets me leave home without it." 

Haruka thought a moment "Call the taxi." Haruka sat down again. 

Nancy began punching in numbers. "I'm calling my mom . . . probably faster than getting a cab, anyway." 

"You are right, I suppose."

"Do you need a doctor?"

Like Usagi, this Nancy seemed to be overprotective. Haruka assured her, "No. I'm just tired . . . I should be careful." 

Nancy made the call. When she was finished, she said, "Five, ten minutes, unless they have trouble finding us." She then took off her coat and put it over Haruka's legs. "Jeans aren't as good as panty hose in this weather." 

"No, put your coat back on!" This was really too much.

"Shut up and just sit there, oh high-and-mighty Sailor Uranus! For once." The girl tied the coat sleeves under Haruka to keep the coat snug. 

Haruka was speechless. The girl, shivering in her short skirt and sleeveless top, _knew who she was._

Haruka's shock was so great that her combat instincts were suppressed for a few seconds. But after those few seconds, she fixed again on something she'd noticed while all this was going on. A car that had gone past them just after Nancy had taken off her coat, was now approaching them again, slowly, very slowly. She glanced back at Nancy and saw that Nancy was reading her face. Nancy turned around. "Oh, sh--" Nancy started to say.

"Nancy, get out of here!" She pulled Nancy's coat from her legs, and started to get up. 

"No, wait--don't transform. You don't know what it will do to the baby." Nancy turned back to her, and handed her the cellphone. "Hide it. Hide yourself. I'll draw him off. Call the police when he can't see you--screw that. Call the house! My mom knows the score." And then Nancy skipped out into the middle of the street and made a very _interesting_ gesture at the car. It rocketed forward. Haruka saw Nancy spring away. She jumped off the road just as the car was about to strike her. Haruka wanted to blast the man--but remembered what Nancy had said. She faded back into some brush and began to work the phone. The car turned off the winding road they had been walking beside, and peeled off loudly downhill. 

The phone stopped working after a few moments, but Haruka did talk to Ikuko and then Mako long enough to tell them there was trouble. Then Haruka waited for several minutes. She was starting to go back to the street to get a better look when she heard Nancy's voice calling her, "No, stay down! He's coming back!" Haruka had no idea where the voice was coming from, but she let herself slide down a few meters, and made sure her hood covered her orange blonde hair. She could just make out a car slowing up, and then idling, only a few meters away. She fingered her _henshin_ wand, and considered, but waited. 

Then a door began to open. A boot hit the pavement, then another. Haruka prepared to get up, but slipped, and slid down the slope for a more few meters--making quite a rumbling noise. And she lost her _henshin_. 

Haruka looked up and saw a man standing on the edge of the road above her. He was outlined by lights from behind him. He had something in his hands--a rifle, or a shotgun. 

But then the menacing silhouette stepped back, out of sight. Haruka heard the car door slam, and the squeal of tires. Then she felt hands on her. 

"It's okay. He's gone." It was Nancy, helping her up. "Careful . . ."

Haruka heard someone scrambling down. Then another pair of hands grabbed her. In a moment, she was up the slope back onto the walkway. In another moment, she was being helped into a van, and she saw that the second pair of hands belonged to Michiru. Michiru started moving away, but Haruka grabbed her hands and said, "Please, sit with me?" 

Michiru paused, and then sat down beside Haruka. 

Nancy got in next. She paused to slap some of the dirt of her coat. Haruka noticed that she was just wearing a brassiere under her coat--her top was gone. Before she could ask, she heard Nancy say, "Here, keep this for her until you think you can trust her with it." Nancy handed Haruka's _henshin_ to Michiru, and then moved back to another seat. 

* * *

**Chapter 3: Ami and Usagi **

Mizuno Ami wished she had gone with the others to pick up Nancy and Haruka, but she hadn't known they were in trouble. With her special computer-sensor that she had in all her Mercury forms, she surely could have tracked the man, and they would have caught him. But when they found out about the criminal who was after Nancy and maybe Haruka, the only person in the house who could drive a car was Ikuko, Usagi's mother, and she wasn't going to leave Usagi or the little children behind. Usagi's mother told everyone to stay in the house. Then she began making calls, first to Nancy's mother, already driving in the van toward Nancy and Haruka; then the police; then some neighbors. Usagi had come down and began calling neighbors herself, on another line. Ami noticed that Usagi's mother bent down to whisper to her several times while they were waiting for the police, and for the van to get back. 

The police came to the mansion to take reports after Haruka and Nancy came back. They didn't ask Ami many questions, and when she volunteered a good idea about how to find the man who had chased after Nancy, they told her to leave police work to police. Minako gave her a knowing look just afterward. But she hardly noticed, because she was wondering why Nancy seemed to be so sure of herself talking with the police. Nancy gave them the license number of the car and a description of how it looked and how the man looked. Ami wondered how she had got such a good look when the man was trying to run her over, or shoot her, or catch her to rape her, if he was the rapist the police were looking for. 

It must have been a good description, because the police arrested the man the next day. 

* * *

Ami was the best at solving puzzles, although Usagi had surprised her once--_Usagi--_but the puzzle of why Usagi had changed so much and why she insisted she would never marry Mamoru and never become queen . . . She was baffled. By the end of their second week in America, Ami had observed enough, and learned enough from what others were willing to tell her, that Nancy knew, and Nancy's mother, and perhaps Usagi's mother. But Ami decided--really _felt_--that it was better not to ask them. When the time seemed right, she would ask Usagi herself. Meantime, she looked for clues, and cherished a vague hope that she would find something that Usagi had overlooked, and convince her to reconcile with Mamoru. 

But the clues she found were few, and disturbing. 

One morning, when she was on her way to take a shower, she passed the room that Usagi's parents slept in. Usagi's father was back home, and he had just stepped out of the room, already dressed and ready to go somewhere. Ami looked into the room for a moment, and saw that Ikuko was praying in front of a picture on her dresser. It was a very short prayer. Ami heard Usagi's father call out, "Come on, we'll be late." 

Usagi's mother replied, "Just fixing my makeup." Then she put the picture in a drawer. 

Ami could see that from where he was standing, Usagi's father would not able to see what his wife was doing. Why would Usagi's mother lie to her husband? 

Ami wanted to talk to Usagi, but there always seemed to be someone else with her. Before long, that was what bothered Ami. Without school, and without her mother, Ami realized she was alone. Usagi had been her first real friend, and now . . . 

* * *

Rei had become even more closed off than before. When Ami tried to get her to talk, Rei would snap at her, or simply ignore her. Minako seemed to be spending most of her time with her mother. Michiru and Haruka were together again, though Michiru was more likely to snap at Haruka and everyone else than Rei. Except for Usagi--Ami did notice that Michiru avoided Usagi a lot, although Ami caught her looking at Usagi several times, when Michiru obviously did not think Usagi could see her. 

Hotaru still seemed sad much of the time, though she had started to put on a cheerful face for others. Ami saw her with Usagi quite a lot, but they never seemed to be talking. Setsuna was either with Hotaru, or she was gone. And Nancy also spent time with Hotaru, though, again, they didn't seem to be talking much. 

Makoto was alone a lot, usually cooking or working with the potted plants. Sometimes Usagi would help her do simple things, like peel fruit or vegetables, but Usagi seldom did any cooking more complex than popping snacks into the microwave. Makoto wouldn't let Usagi near a plant; she had said long ago that Usagi could probably wilt plastic flowers. 

Ami decided to talk with Makoto when she was alone. "Mako-chan, can I help?" 

"You don't have to. Cooking isn't your talent. But you can keep me company. That would be nice." 

"Well . . . okay . . . Mako, has Usagi told you anything?" 

Makoto asked, "You mean about why she broke up with Mamoru?" 

"Yes," said Ami.

"Not really," Makoto replied, "She has told me a little about the other boy. Jimmy, Nancy's brother." 

Ami said, "What? If you can tell me . . . please?" 

Makoto said, "Jimmy was closer to Usagi's age. They met at school. The way she talks about him, I think they were just friends for a long time. Then when he was about to go away to join the armed service here, they made love. And that's how she got pregnant. He died in a plane crash right after." 

Ami said, "She hasn't talked to me about him. She hasn't talked to me at all. Not just me . . ." 

Makoto said, "I see . . . why don't you just go up and talk with her? She's up. Or at least she was a few minutes ago." 

"Is Nancy with her?" Ami asked. 

"No. Nancy went out with Minako and her stepsisters. And Hotaru. They won't be back until dinnertime." 

"Minako went out without her mother?" Mina-chan seemed to be inseparable from her mother lately.

"Yes. Actually, Nancy and her stepsisters sort of dragged her out. Minako's mother went out with Nancy's mother and Usagi's mother. . . " Makoto stopped her tale, and addressed Ami more directly. "You can talk to me any time. But you need to talk to Usagi. Go on, do it while you can catch her alone." 

"Don't you want to talk to her? First?" 

Mako stopped kneading the dough she was working with. "You knew her before any of us. Maybe she will tell you." 

"She knew Naru-chan long before me," said Ami.

"Yes," said Makoto, "But I don't think she wants Naru-chan to know _everything._ And even if Naru-chan knows, she won't tell. Think of how long she knew Usagi was Sailor Moon. Please, go talk to Usagi. Now?" 

"All right . . ."

Ami drank a glass of water before going to Usagi's room, not really because her throat was dry, but to have something to do first. But once that was done, she mustered her courage, and went. She noticed that Mako was watching her, although she looked down at the dough she was kneading when Ami glanced back at her. 

Ami found Usagi sitting up in her bed, reading. Usagi was reading a book, not a manga. "What is it you are reading?" Ami asked. 

"_The Last of the Mohicans,_" said Usagi. "An old book." 

"For school?" asked Ami.

Usagi replied, "Did you forget I'm not going to school now? I saw a movie of it, and I thought reading the book would be nice." 

Ami looked closer. "You read English for pleasure now?" 

"It is still work," said Usagi, pointing out two dictionaries beside her in the bed, a Webster's and a Japanese-English one. "But I am so addle-brained I forget to be lazy sometimes." Usagi closed her book. "What do you really want to talk about?" 

There was no point in stalling any more. "Will you tell me why you broke up with Mamoru? Why you won't see him?" 

Usagi shook her head."It would only bring him pain to see me. I will not see him until he has found someone else. If he sees me before, he will try to make me change my mind. But I will not change my mind. Mamoru and I will never be married. And do not tell me that we must--the future is not what we thought it was. And that is all I will tell you of this." 

"But--" 

"That is all!" said Usagi in a commanding tone. Then she softened. "Before you tell me of my own heart, are you sure what is in your own?" 

"What do you mean?" asked Ami.

Usagi said. "You have been here for nearly three weeks, and you've hardly spoken to me, or anyone. Hotaru is more outgoing than you. I saw Hotaru help drag Minako out. But they do not bother to drag you out. Why is that?" 

Ami said, "I am not much fun." 

"No," said Usagi. "They don't try because they've given up." 

Ami began to cry. "Why are you like this? You have broken Mamoru's heart, you have hurt Rei, and now you are hurting me. Why? Why can't you be like you were before?" 

Usagi took her hands. "I can never be as I was before. But I am your friend . . . " Usagi scooted herself over to Ami so she could hold her. "Always your friend . . . and if you want to mend Mamoru's heart, why not see him?" 

"Me?" Ami was shocked.

"Is there anyone else in here? Yes, you. I have seen him flirt with you." 

Ami said defensively, "That was just in fun. Mamoru flirts with many girls." 

"Yes, I have noticed that . . . " 

Ami caught a glimmer of hope. _She _does_ still care about Mamoru. _At least enough to be a little jealous. 

". . . But you are right, it is just fun for him. But why not you. Are you free? Did you get back together with Ryo after all this time? Did Sumi Kurume finally get up enough nerve to talk to you? Another boy?" 

"No . . . no, I guess I am free. Are you _ordering_ me to see Mamoru?" 

Usagi said, "No, just suggesting . . . strongly! You're both great students, you are both going to be doctors--you have much more in common than I ever did with him. What is the harm? See if you might become more than friends." 

Ami put her head to one side. "What about Hino-san?" 

Usagi said, "Maybe you will have to fight Rei-chan for him, if you find you really want him. I think that either way, you win. If you want him, you are smarter than Rei, and you don't have a bad temper. Mamo-chan respects people with cool heads. If you don't, maybe you will make Rei jealous enough to open herself to Mamoru, and maybe they will find that they should be together. If that happens, you will have really done a kindness for Rei-chan. Don't expect her ever to _thank_ you for it, though." 

They laughed. For the moment, Ami forgot about the complications of being a _senshi_ and a member of a nascent royal court, and was just a teenager confronting the pratfalls of first loves. 

Then Usagi stopped laughing and grimaced, arching her back for a moment. 

"What is it?" asked Ami. 

Usagi gasped out, "Oh, I think I ate too many snacks last night. I've had stomach pains off and on since this morning." 

"When was your last one?" asked Ami.

"I don't know . . . a little before you came in . . . _Ohhh._" Usagi arched again. Amy felt her Usagi's belly under her flannel nightgown. "What are you doing?" asked Usagi.

"Feeling your stomach . . . Usagi, I think you are having a contraction." 

"What?" 

"I think you are about to have your baby," said Ami.

"But it's not due for _twoooo_--" Usagi's reply turned into a shriek.

"Babies come when babies come, said Ami. Then she shouted, "MAKO! MAKO!" 

Mako came bounding into the room moments later, her hands covered with flour. "What's wrong?" 

"Usagi is having her baby now," said Ami

Makoto said, "I'll get Haruka! She can drive!" 

Ami called out, "No, call an ambulance. 911. I think the baby may come very soon . . . acchh!" 

"What was _that?_" asked Usagi. 

"Your water just broke," said Ami.

Shingo came in the door just as Ami was seeing how dilated Usagi was. He passed out. 

* * *

The ambulance that was routed to Mako's call crashed. In the confusion that followed, for two hours, whenever anyone called to find out about the ambulance, they were told it was on its way. Finally the mistake was discovered, and another ambulance sent. 

The ambulance wreck wasn't the only one that afternoon. Traffic was bad pretty much everywhere for several hours. By the time the mothers got back to the house, the second ambulance had already taken Usagi away. There were police and firemen still there, packing up and finishing their reports. Ikuko went to them and asked what was going on, but she was excited and forgot her English. Mako took her aside and explained, in Japanese. "Usagi had her baby. A little girl. She had it before the ambulance came." 

Ikuko said, "Is she all right? Is the baby all right?" 

Makoto said, "Yes, I think so. Ami thinks so." 

"Ami?" 

Makoto explained, "Ami delivered the baby. She went with Usagi and the baby in the ambulance." 

* * *

Ami and Usagi's mother Ikuko stayed overnight at the hospital with Usagi, while everyone else went home. Ms. Leary would have stayed, but she had small children--and she insisted that Nancy come home with her. She didn't boss Nancy much, but maybe she was upset because she couldn't stay with her new grandchild. 

* * *

In the morning, after they had something to eat at the hospital cafeteria, Ami and Ikuko were coming back to look into the nursery. They saw Mamoru already there, looking at the babies. And they saw others coming from the other direction, with Nancy in the lead. Ami saw Nancy put her arms back, stopping the others. With a glance, Nancy indicated that they should wait, and she went up to Mamoru alone, coming up to him at the same time as Ami and Ikuko. 

"Is he the guy?" Nancy asked them, not speaking with Mamoru, who continued to look through the nursery window. 

"Yes," replied Ami. "Mamoru? This is Nancy." 

Mamoru turned around. "The baby has hair like yours." 

"So did her father. Listen, I'm sorry you came out on the short end here . . ." 

"Are you close to Usako now?" Mamoru asked.

"Usako?" Nancy asked.

"He means Usagi. It is a, how you say, a nickname," explained Ami. 

"Oh . . . yeah, I'm close to her," said Nancy.

"Tell her for me that she has made a beautiful girl." Then Mamoru walked away. 

After a moment, Ami went after him. She almost lost him, but before he could turn a corner, she called out, "Mamo-chan!" 

He stopped, and waited for her to come up to him. When she was close, she said, "Don't just go away. Come and see Usagi." 

Mamoru said, "She does not want to see me. And who are you to call me Mamo-chan? Only Usako calls me that. Only Usako should." He was being authoritative again, speaking to Ami as if she were still a child.

Ami stood her ground. "Hino-san called you that once." 

Mamoru smiled faintly. "That _is_ true . . . but that was a long time ago. Nothing happened." 

Ami said, "Usagi thinks something might, if you let it." 

"What?" Mamoru was surprised.

Ami wasn't sure why she went on, but she did. "Usagi won't see you until you have someone else. She thought maybe Hino-san. Or maybe even . . . me." 

"You? Ami-chan?" 

Mizuno Ami put authority into her own words: "Who are you to call me Ami-chan?" 

Mamoru smiled, and put one finger gently on her chin. "Well, Ms. Mizuno, if you prefer," he said in English.

"She said that we are alike in many ways . . . we will both be doctors, we like to do challenging schoolwork, we . . . we _are_ much alike. You must admit that. You must--" 

"Right now I think I must do this." He brought his head down and tilted it just enough, and kissed her, on the lips, for a long time. When he finished, he took her shoulders in his hands, and said, "You will never be Usako. But, Usako will never be you." 

Ami wasn't sure what she was feeling. "Ne-e-eh . . . will you call me? Later? Sometime?" 

"Yes. I will." Then he let her go, turned around, and walked away. 

Ami took a long moment to become aware of anyone else. Then she noticed that several familiar people were looking at her. One of them was Rei. 

* * *

**Next:** Minako shares a family secret with Usagi, and Usagi reveals a very new form. What will the rest of the _senshi_ do now that Usagi won't be their queen? 

* * *

**Send Comments to: [sewell_thomas@hotmail.com][1]  
Site: [http://www.geocities.com/oldgringo2001/dream/][2]**

   [1]: mailto:sewell_thomas@hotmail.com
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	2. The Court of the Moons

**Under Black Wings, Part Two**

**A Sailor Moon Fan Fiction by Thomas Sewell**  
[**sewell_thomas@hotmail.com**][1]

...... = _thought quotation_

**Chapter 4: A Different Moon **

TSUKINO KENJI started back from his assignment in the South American rain forest, as soon as he heard about his granddaughter's birth, but it took him two days. By that time, Usagi and her baby had come home. He'd asked for a leave of absence, and it had been granted. During the next week, he took so many pictures of Usagi and the baby that he had to restock his darkroom twice.

But he wasn't just a photographer; he was a grandfather. Minako watched him holding his little granddaughter for a long time from a landing on one of the staircases. Then she watched Usagi's mother sit down with him, kiss him, and lean against him while she rubbed the baby's head and body, arms and legs. And Minako began to cry. 

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, and saw it was Usagi. Wiping off her tears and sniffling, she said, "I thought you were down there." 

"I came up the other stairs," said Usagi quietly. "I saw you here. Why are you crying?" 

Minako said, "Oh, it is so wonderful, seeing your parents with your daughter." 

"It is wonderful, but that is not why you are crying, is it?" Before Minako could answer, or decide if she would answer, Usagi said, "Come, let's go to your room. They will see us soon." 

Once they entered the large room Minako shared with her mother and Mako, Usagi said, "I've noticed you don't talk about your father much. Neither does your mother." 

Minako asked, "Did you find out from your mother?" 

"I'd rather find out from you," said Usagi.

Minako took a moment to draw in a breath. "_Otousan_ has left mother . . . he wants to marry someone else. He fell in love with a girl, and they are going to have a baby together." 

Usagi said, "That is sad, but it does not mean your father will stop loving you." 

"No, but . . ." Minako hesitated.

"What?" 

"_Otousan_ is not really my father. _Okasan_ really had me a little before she met him. She could not have any other children. But my father . . . the man I thought was my father . . . I guess he always wanted to have a child who was really his." 

Usagi embraced her. 

After she cried for a little while, Minako said, "I guess it is funny. I am the Sailor Fighter of Venus, the planet named for the goddess of love. It is only natural, that I be a love child." 

"Did you know?" asked Usagi.

Minako said, "No . . . No, mama just told me. She told me after you had Chibi-Usa." 

"'Sarah Ami Uer' That is the name I gave her. An American-style name." Usagi held her very tightly for a long moment. "I wish you would call her 'Sarah.'" 

"Usagi?" 

"Yes?" 

"Why are _you_ crying?" asked Minako.

Usagi would not tell her why she was crying. But she did tell Minako it was not her fault that the man she had known as her father had left her mother. 

When they had both stopped crying, at least for now, Minako asked Usagi,"Can you have any more children?" 

"Yes," answered Usagi. "I suppose."

Minako said, "So, if you do change your mind and get back with Mamoru--" 

Usagi looked angry for a moment, and Minako stopped talking. But then Usagi's face softened. "What Mamoru had with me, he cannot have again. We are no longer destined for each other. I will always love Mamo-chan. That is why I want to see him find the one who is really for him." 

"Rei? Or Ami, now? She is going to some function at Stanford in a few days. With Mamoru." 

"I know. I'm happy for her. But if Ami should not be the right one, why not you? Who better to make him learn to love again than the goddess of Love?" 

Minako shook her head, but then stopped, and said. "Maybe. But I just cannot imagine that it will not be you with Mamoru, that you will not be the queen someday." 

"I thought you were the Moon Princess, at first. You could be the queen, if there is ever need for a queen. At least you could lead the _senshi_ again. There's no reason I have to be the leader now. I am not even sure I will ever return to Japan." 

* * *

The man who was arrested and identified by Nancy was released from jail, by mistake. The jail did not discover its error for several days. In the meantime . . . 

* * *

Makoto woke up in the early hours, couldn't get to sleep, and decided to make a hot little chocolate. She checked at Usagi's room and found she was up, nursing, talking lowly with Nancy. She said, "I am going to make some hot chocolate. Do you want some?" 

They were both up for it, so they all went to the kitchen in the back of the house. 

While Mako started preparing the chocolate, she asked, "What were you talking about? I mean, if it isn't private." 

Usagi said, "We were talking about what to do before Nancy goes home with her family." 

Nancy said, "And I was saying I could stay--" 

Usagi cut her off: "And I was telling her why she cannot! And I won't say it again." 

"Why are you so bothered to go home?" asked Makoto. "I thought you lived close to Stanford, where Chiba-san is studying. That is not very far from here." 

Nancy Uer looked at Mako for a moment, glanced at Usagi, and turned back to Mako. "We lived near Stanford when Sue--_Usagi_--stayed with us. But we live far away from here, now." 

For some reason, Makoto wasn't really satisfied with that answer, but she stirred the pan of chocolate again, keeping the skim from forming. "That is sad to hear, but you should be with your family. You never know how long you will have them . . . Usako, I have no family, really. I am of age now. I can stay here as long as I like. As long as you want me to stay." The chocolate was almost ready. Mako took the pan off the stove and poured the chocolate it into cups. She shaved a little hard chocolate into each cup, and squeezed a lemon wedge into hers. "Do you take lemon in your chocolate, Nancy?" 

"No, thanks." Nancy had risen already, and she took her cup and Usagi's cup back to the table. Mako saw her hold the cup to Usagi's lips. Makoto remembered now that Usagi held her baby with both arms when she nursed it, never freeing a hand for more than a moment or two, almost as if she were afraid someone would take it from her . . . 

No one said much for a few minutes. Mako looked at Usagi, and sometimes at Nancy, wondering if there was something she should ask. And she pictured Mamoru with them, tending Usagi and Chibi-Usa--_No, this can't be Chibi-Usa, not the one we knew, even if we keep calling her that . . . _

The silence was broken just after both Nancy and Mako reached for Usagi's cup. Nancy surrendered the cup to Mako, and they both laughed for a moment. While giving Usagi another few sips, Mako said, "Why haven't you told me to go after Chiba-san? Don't you think I'm as good as Ami, or Rei, or Minako?" 

Usagi retorted, "Of course I don't think that! See him. See if anything happens. Unless you have someone else you haven't told me about. Motoki?" 

Makoto said, "No, there is nothing between me and Motoki." 

"How are you sure?" asked Usagi.

"He is seeing Reika again," said Makoto.

"Then what about--" 

Makoto cut Usagi off with: "No. I've told you, many times. He is my friend. If I try to make him more, I'm sure I will lose him." 

"Maybe I should leave," said Nancy. 

Mako shook her head. "No. Maybe you can help talk some sense into Usako's thick head." 

Usagi smiled at Makoto, very sadly. 

Makoto went on. "I am usually the one who answers when Chiba-san calls here. I know that he still loves you. He thinks that it is his fault that you found another love. I know you must have loved Jimmy with all your heart, but he is gone now and Chiba-san is not. Won't you at least talk with him?" 

Usagi shook her head. "No. No, you should know from Minako that I won't see Mamo-chan until he finds someone else. That is how things _must_ be. It could be _anyone_ with a good heart, but I think he would be better with another _senshi._" 

Makoto glanced at Nancy, who said quietly, "Yeah, I know. I guess Haruka didn't tell anyone, except maybe Michiru." 

Makoto did not have long to puzzle over that because Usagi continued: "You would be good for him. You are strong enough to stand up to him, put him in his place when he needs to be. And you could take care of him better than I ever could. He is really much like my _otousan_; he needs a _lot_ of taking-care-of, even if he won't let himself see that he does." 

"Usako--" 

Usagi spoke in a commanding voice. "_Listen, _Princess of Jupiter. If my _okasan_ and _otousan_ and even Nancy-chan and her mother cannot make me change my mind about Mamoru, you will not. If you want to help Mamoru, do it as yourself. Or help someone else with him. If you help make Mamoru happy again, that will make me happy. Now, would someone please give me some chocolate, before it gets cold?" 

They all sat in silence for some time. Then there was noise . . . a creaking scratch, a _thump, _a _crack. _It was coming from somewhere else in the house, and they would never have noticed it if they hadn't stopped talking. 

Makoto got up quietly and switched off the lights. She tried the phone--it was dead. She found Nancy beside her, who whispered, "Not working, right?" 

"No, it does not work," said Makoto, realizing she did not have her _henshin_ wand.

Nancy said, "That figures. Whoever's out there was smart enough to get around the security system. Sue, you can go out the back--" 

"No. I will take care of it," said Usagi, in a normal tone of voice. 

Makoto was so amazed that she froze, and she noticed that Nancy seemed unable to respond, either. Usagi got up and walked out through the inside door of the kitchen, switching on lights as she entered the huge front room the rest of the mansion was built around. Mako heard Usagi call out, "Over here. You do not have to sneak any more. We know you are here." 

Mako could hear movement all through the house after that. Without thinking, she left the kitchen to approach Usagi, and Nancy was just ahead of her. 

"You. You're the one," said a man's voice. "You're coming with me. The rest of you--" 

Makoto saw that the man who was speaking had a gun. 

Usagi interrupted the man with the gun. "No, Nancy. Stay. I do not want the gentleman to make any more mistakes." 

"Listen--" the man with the gun started to say, but he stopped when Usagi spoke again. 

"You can only shoot that gun once, I think," continued Usagi, cool as if she was talking to just another person she didn't particularly care for. "Before you can make it ready to shoot again, someone here might shoot you. Or something. Or someone might get away, and when they catch you, you could be put to death. Especially if you shoot me and my baby. No lawyer could save you if do that . . . Hotaru, no." 

The man looked behind him and saw Hotaru, in her Saturn form, readying her long glaive from a landing. Mako did not know what to think--in another second, Hotaru could have cut him in half. He would never have noticed the Senshi of Silence approaching unless Usagi had not said what she had. 

"Put that thing down! Or I'll kill her!" shouted the man. 

Mako did not have her _henshin _to transform_, _but that did not stop her from bounding toward the man while his back was turned. But before she reached him, Usagi's voice called. "Mako-chan, Nancy, _everyone, stop_! Everyone, let him alone, until I am finished with him!" 

Mako halted, perhaps three paces short of the man. He twisted around, and around again. Mako could see why he was now terrified. Sailor Pluto had joined Hotaru on the landing, and the garnet-orb on her time-staff was glowing, ready to loose her attack at an instant. On another landing, Uranus and Neptune were both transformed, both holding their talismans, and both looked like they wanted to see the man very, very dead. Behind him, had Minako landed, not transformed, but holding her practice staff as if she meant to use it. Mako realized that if the man had not been spooked, Minako could have knocked him out--even killed him. Rei and Ami were at the top of their stairway, but they were transformed, and Rei was so angry Mako saw that she had sparked a tiny fire, which Ami was dousing as best she could while watching the man. 

Usagi spoke again, returning to that calm, yet somehow frightening tone she had used before. "You made a mistake coming here. Now, if you take me hostage, with my baby, that would be better than taking Nancy and killing her. You could tell Nancy to change her story to the police, and they would have to let you off again." 

The man seemed to regain some of his confidence. "That sounds pretty good. But this is better. All of you, down here. _Now!_" 

Usagi said leisurely, "Let's see . . . you are going to have us all tie each other up, right? So you're sure we don't call the police as soon as you go away?" 

"You guessed right. _Move, NOW!_" 

Mako saw Usagi shake her head. "No. No, we will not do that. After we were helpless, would just kill us all. After you had fun with the ones you wanted. And that is what you would have done with all the girls from now on, is it not? Kill them. You have been thinking about it for a long time, but now that you have to kill Nancy, why not? You have outsmarted everyone so far; this way, they will never put you in jail ever again." 

The man actually smiled. "You think pretty good, for a blonde. Maybe I will do that. Maybe I'll let you live. But I'll tell you all one thing . . ." The man raised his gun and aimed it right at Usagi. "If you don't all come down here and get in front of me, I'm going to blow the baby's head off!" 

Then Makoto saw Usagi take a step forward. The man pulled the trigger of his gun . . . but there was no shot. 

Then Usagi transformed. The man hurled his gun at Sailor Moon, but she swatted it down with her black wings. For a moment, Mako could not see the man through Sailor Moon's great wings, but then she rose up over him. 

She spoke again, in the same tone. "If you had just sat in jail for awhile, you would have probably gotten off. Nancy cannot stay to testify against you. All you had to do was wait for your day in court. But you are having your day here, in my court, the Court of the Moons. You are privileged; this may be the last time my court is gathered. _And this is your sentence!_" 

Sailor Moon paused just a moment before saying, "_In the name of my little moon, I punish you!_" 

When it was done, the man was a pile of dust. 

Makoto dropped to her knees before being aware that she was doing it. She just knelt in shock until Minako and Nancy helped her up. 

By that time, Makoto saw that everyone in the house had come downstairs into the huge parlor/ballroom that formed most of the front part of the mansion. Makoto noticed that Eric and his sisters did not seem to take any special notice of the transformed _senshi_. She noticed that even Setsuna, Sailor Pluto, was startled by the form Sailor Moon had taken--far different from any they had seen. And she noticed that Shingo was afraid. 

Sailor Moon went to Shingo, but he drew back. She said, "Do not be afraid, Shingo. See? My little moon is not afraid." She held out her baby to Shingo. He came closer, and took the baby into his arms. Sailor Moon slipped behind him and put her arms around him and her baby, and her great black wings. "See, Shingo? You should not be afraid. My brave little moon is not afraid. My brave, brave little moon . . ." 

Then Sailor Moon began to weep. 

Mako gathered around her, along with everyone else. Her mother, and Nancy's mother, put their around Sailor Moon as best they could, and everyone else backed off a little to let them, except for Eric and his little half-sister--the half-sister was small enough to get very close, and Sailor Moon hugged her too. Naru knelt before them all, and put out her comforting hand. 

Sailor Moon said, "Now everyone but _otousan_ knows. I told him once, but he was not really listening . . ." But then she began to weep again, worse than before. 

Mako looked around, and finally registered on what Nancy had become, and suddenly knew why Nancy knew so much about the _senshi_. Mako moved next to Nancy, and asked, "Have you seen her in this form?" 

"Yes," said Nancy. "Once." 

Then Sailor Moon told Makoto and the other _senshi_ how she had taken the form of a Death Angel. 

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Senshi Make a Decision **

THE POLICE did not think much about the abandoned car Mrs. Tsukino reported finding hidden away at their home. The officer who took the first report knew within minutes the car was stolen, but she did not think that was a surprise at all. She was curious about the people she found in the mansion where the car was found. 

"Do you own this place?" asked the officer.

Mrs. Tsukino said, "No, we do not. It belongs to the company my husband is working for. Actually, it belongs to the man who is in charge of it. He does not use it very often, and he allows us to stay here. Of course, we have to keep the place up ourselves. Actually, there are--" 

The officer stopped her from rambling on. "I think you answered my question already. How long have you lived here?" 

"About six months now," said Mrs. Tsukino.

"And who lives with you here?" asked the officer.

Mrs. Tsukino replied, "My husband, Kenji--he is away again." 

"Again?" asked the officer.

Mrs. Tsukino explained, "He is a photographer. He goes all over the world. Especially since Juuban Corporation was taken over. I can show you some of his work, if you like." 

The officer said politely, "Maybe later. Who else lives here? This is a big place." 

"There are quite a number of people here now," Mrs. Tsukino said. "Besides Kenji and I, there is our son Shingo and our daughter Usagi. She has just had a baby . . . and we have many friends who have come to stay with us, to be with her." 

"Are you all right, ma'am?" The officer noticed the woman rub a tear from her face.

Mrs. Tsukino said, "I am sorry . . . It has been a happy time, but a sad time too. I lost my granddaughter . . . my first one . . . not so long ago, and the baby reminds me of her. And the father of the baby, he is also dead . . . I must be strong for my daughter but it is difficult." 

"I'm sorry . . . " 

"No, I will be fine . . . Besides my family, we have Ms. Leary and her family . . ." 

The police officer took the particulars she needed for her report. She asked everyone else what they knew about the car, but did it as quickly as possible. There were a lot of people to see, though, more than she had expected, even in so large a home. 

* * *

That officer did not know that Nancy Uer was a witness in an important case. In fact, the jail still hadn't reported its mistake; they didn't know they had made one. 

When the report on the fingerprints found in the car came in a few days later, the jailors had their mistake pointed out. And some more police officers were sent over to a mansion in Kensington. 

* * *

Mizuno Ami--or "Amy Mizuno" as most Americans seemed to address her--held on to Mamoru's arm. She would have felt out of her element if it had been a normal date--as if any date with _Mamoru _could be "normal." _Now_ . . . 

The function was not at Stanford. It was an awards dinner for a famous doctor who had taught and researched at Stanford for many years. It was actually part of a medical convention at Moscone Center, a place in San Francisco Ami had heard of even before leaving Japan, but one she had never visited. Mamoru had picked her up in his old car to take her there, although she had offered a more sensible solution, meeting him there. Ami wondered if he had hoped to get a glimpse of Usagi, but he hadn't hung about. 

On the drive into San Francisco, Mamoru had asked how Usagi and the baby were doing, but he had also talked about what he was doing at school. He'd wondered which college Ami had chosen. Ami had changed the subject. Then, when he had asked whether the police had talked to them any more about the man who had chased Nancy, she had told him he had been released by mistake--but Ami did had not told him what had become of the man. Instead she had said, "I do not think we will see him again. He would be stupid not to run very far away." Then she had changed the subject again.

Mamoru had had to park his car several blocks away from Moscone Center. Now they were walking the rest of the way. As if she did not have enough on her mind, Ami did not like the look of the neighborhood. "Mamoru, this looks like a bad place." 

Mamoru said, "There are some crooks here. But we shouldn't have trouble. See? They always put extra police here when there is a big convention. The place I live now is much worse." 

"Where?" asked Ami.

Mamoru said, "A place called Ravenswood. It is very poor. Many people are on drugs and steal to buy them. But most of the people there are just poor, not crooks. Since there is not a lot of money for police, they get robbed a lot." 

"Why do you live there, then?" asked Ami.

Mamoru said, "It was the only place close to the Stanford campus I could afford. I could probably move into a dorm in the next term, but I'm not sure I want to now." 

"Did you catch any of the crooks?" asked Ami.

Mamoru answered, "I stopped a few of them, but I am not a policeman. I think I help the people a lot more by helping out at the free clinic. When I become a doctor, I would rather help poor people with real sickness than rich ones who just want a better nose." While they were waiting for a light to change, he returned to an uncomfortable subject. "Have you decided where to go to college? I had expected you would be in college now." 

Ami was embarassed. "I--no. I had planned to go to Tokyo University. But I had to go to Africa with the other _senshi_ to fight a new enemy there. When we got back, it was too late to get in this year. Rei-chan was dropped from T*A Academy. Haruka and Michiru lost their places in school, too. We all had to do makeup work . . . I do not know." 

"Why not Stanford?" said Mamoru.

"Ne-e-eh . . . I do not know. It is a good school." 

Mamoru said, "It is a very good school. And they seem to be willing to take strange people like me; they wouldn't have a problem with you. After I didn't show up at Harvard, I didn't think any good school would take me." 

"That was not your fault," said Ami. 

Mamoru said, "No, but how to explain it? 'I'm sorry I didn't come to your school, even though you gave me a full scholarship, because I was dead?'" 

Ami let off a short laugh before she could think. 

Mamoru put his hand on her cheek and said, "I'd like to have you around. Usagi would. I think she might be living here for a long time." 

After a moment, Ami said, "Mamoru." 

"What?" 

"The light is green now." 

He gave her a funny look before they walked onward. 

* * *

The dinner was a long affair. There were appetizers and drinks for an hour before the real dinner began. Ami didn't want to be a prude and was curious, so she had two different cocktails. Wine was served with the main meal. When coffee came after the meal, just before the speech, the waiter asked her if she cared for a little brandy in her coffee, and she took it. Finally, more wine, for the toasts to come at the presentation. 

Ami felt a little pleasantly light-headed, until the got up to leave. Then she discovered her legs were not doing quite what she wanted. 

Everything was hazy walking back to the car, and she faded out shortly after the car was moving. 

* * *

Ami opened her eyes. She felt a mattress under her. Mamoru was bent close over her. 

Ami said, "Would you kiss me? First?" 

Mamoru kissed her. Then he rose. Ami saw that Rei was standing there too. She realized she was in the room in the mansion she shared with Rei. Mamoru looked at her for a long moment. She was not certain what was in his face. 

Then he turned, and saw Usagi standing in the doorway. Ami could see his shoulders tense, and then slump. "Usako," he said. 

"Mamoru," she replied. "It is late. You should spend the night." 

Mamoru was shocked. "I--I do not know what to say. You said--" 

Usagi cut him off. "Ami-chan, if you'd like, Mamoru could stay here. Rei-chan can stay with me and my little moon." 

Mamoru took a step toward Usagi--and she transformed. Mamoru stepped back. 

The Death Angel said, "As you can see, I am not as I was before. You must find another. Ami-chan, you have not answered. Do you want Mamoru to stay?" 

Before thinking, Ami said, "Yes." 

* * *

Ami opened her eyes. Sunlight was pouring into the room through the windows. 

Mamoru was gone. 

She discovered she had a headache and her mouth was dry, and needed to visit a bathroom. Once she had taken care of her immediate needs, she padded downstairs in her robe and pajamas and some warm, weird-looking slippers that looked like little dogs. 

There was a bustle. Nancy's family was getting ready to leave, in only a few hours more. Nevertheless, Nancy took time to remark when Ami passed her, "Not exactly glowing after the big night, are you?" 

"Big night?" said Ami, puzzled. Then she realized . . . "Oh . . . there was no 'big night.' All we did was talk." 

Nancy held her hand, and smiled. "I figured. You were drunk. Not his style at all." 

"How--never mind." Ami looked past Nancy at Usagi, sitting with her baby between her mother and Nancy's mother, just far enough away so it wasn't likely they could hear her. "I think I wanted to, Nancy. To make love." 

"Yeah. Well, if you have to think, the time ain't right." Nancy squeezed her hands tighter. "You told him about Sarah, didn't you? Chibi-Usa?" 

"Yes," said Ami. 

Nancy hugged her. "Gonna miss you, too." 

* * *

Usagi went off with her baby and her mother to see Nancy's family to their plane. Naru, who had become very good friends with Nancy and her family, went along too, and, of course, Umino went with Naru. That left eight _senshi_ alone in the house as night fell. Makoto made up a lot of Mexican-style food that she had learned to fix because Usagi had picked up a taste for it. They just picked away at it, waiting for the return of the others . . . and talking. 

Ami was the first to say something important. "I am going to stay here." 

"Because of Mamoru?" asked Rei. 

Amy said, "That is one reason . . . but I must stay with Usagi. She is my most special friend. I will not leave her now." 

"But your mother . . ." said Minako. 

Ami said, "My mother was going to go to Africa this year, but she stayed because I did not start college. I will tell her to go." 

"What will you do?" asked Makoto.

Ami said, "I will go to college here, if I can. Stanford, or Berkeley, or UCSF, perhaps. If I cannot get in, then I won't go for awhile. But I won't leave Usagi the way she is." 

Setsuna spoke up. "Ami-chan, Usagi is not going to be better soon. Maybe not for years. Maybe not ever." 

Rei was next. "What will you do if Mamoru decides he doesn't want you?" 

Ami said, "I do not know . . . But whatever I feel for Mamoru, I must stay. I would never have thought of Mamoru that way if Usagi--" 

"Had not said that you should try," said Makoto. "She said Mamoru would probably be happiest with another _senshi._" 

Michiru spoke next. "Haruka has found a doctor here she likes. I will stay with her here until the baby comes . . . I think all the _senshi_ should stay together, or as many as can. We are defenders of the whole world, not just Tokyo or Japan. And I think we need to watch over Sailor Moon. No matter how much greater her power is now, she took a foolish chance with the man who Nancy caught. Who will tell her when she is making a mistake, if not us?" 

"What does your mirror tell you of the future?" asked Rei. 

"Little," said Michiru, "Nothing I really understand. That is not what the mirror does best, anyway. What do you see? You have more power than I to do this." 

Rei said, "I have tried . . . I found little of the future, but . . ." 

"What did you find?" asked Michiru.

"You should use your mirror to check," said Rei.

"Check what?" asked Michiru.

Rei did not speak for a moment. Then, "Usagi's baby. I think she _is_ Chibi-Usa." 

"Her brave little moon," said Minako. 

Rei turned to Setsuna and said, "You know many secrets. Is this what is meant to be? Usagi raises Chibi-Usa, knowing that she will die as she did? As she will?" 

"I do not know that," said the Senshi of Time.

Ami spoke up. "Wait. If this is Chibi-Usa, why did she fade when Mamoru was almost destroyed by Neherenia?" 

Setsuna said, "I do not know. I always believed she was Mamoru's child." 

"She would not have been the Chibi-Usa we knew if Mamoru had not raised her," said Makoto. "Maybe that is it." 

"Perhaps she did not really fade," said Haruka. "Neherenia's magic distorted reality. What was real and what was a dream?" 

Rei said, "It could be that this is a new incarnation for Chibi-Usa. I feel the same soul in her. If it is, then . . ." 

"Usagi believes her little moon is Chibi-Usa," said Hotaru quietly. "Her eyes are blue now, but the hair is the same. I think that when she gets a little older, her eyes will change. Jimmy's mother has the same color eyes as Chibi-Usa. I think she is Chibi-Usa . . . I will stay with her." 

Setsuna looked very sad as she took Hotaru into her arms. "Well, then, I guess I must stay too." After kissing Hotaru, she took a different tone. "With Mercury's good sense to help, we Outer Senshi should be able to keep Sailor Moon from making too many mistakes. What of the rest?" 

"I am staying," said Minako. 

Makoto said, "But your mother? I have no family to worry about, but--" 

"_Okasan_ came here because I asked her. What does she have in Japan, now? Usagi's mother has already asked her if she would like to stay." Minako stood up. "It is my duty to stay. I have always been the special protector of the Moon Princess. Look what has happened to her when she went away from me." 

"You cannot know you could have helped her," said Setsuna. 

Minako said, "You cannot tell me you are sure I couldn't have. So, I am staying, and I do not have to ask Mako. So, Rei-chan, will you be the only one who does not stay?" 

Makoto said, "Minako, her grandfather--" 

"I will stay," said Rei. 

"Your grandfather," Mako stubbornly asserted. 

"I will tell him why I must stay. I hope he will come here, but grandfather has his own ways." Rei stood up now, and turned to face each other senshi in turn. "I see in all your eyes you think that I am staying because of Mamoru. That is one reason. But Mamoru is not just Mamoru; he is the _senshi_ of Earth. If there is ever to be a King of Earth, it will be him. Such a King should have a powerful queen. If Usagi will not be his queen, then one of us would be best. Setsuna, you are the oldest and wisest among us. Do I speak truly?" 

"Yes," said the others.

Then the Senshi of Silence silenced everyone with a quiet remark. "Perhaps even me." After everyone, even Setsuna, went open-mouthed for a long moment, Hotaru added, "When I am old enough, of course." 

* * *

**Next:** Trying to get close to fellow med student Mamoru Chiba, Carmen Gonsoles becomes friends with his girlfriend. Just how good a friend Ami Mizuno is will be proven. In the meantime, Rei and Minako face lifechanging decisions. 

* * *

**Send Comments to: [sewell_thomas@hotmail.com][1]  
Site: [http://www.geocities.com/oldgringo2001/dream/][2]**

   [1]: mailto:sewell_thomas@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/oldgringo2001/dream/



	3. The Gift of the Senshi

**Under Black Wings, Part Three**

**A Sailor Moon Fan Fiction by Thomas Sewell**  
[**sewell_thomas@hotmail.com**][1]

...... = _thought quotation_

**Chapter 6: Who Will Win Mamoru? **

CARMEN GONSOLES had a name that one might assume belonged to a _Chicana_, a _Mexicana,_ or a young woman from elsewhere in Latin America, especially California and more especially in the Silicon Valley, of which Stanford University was the western terminus. A blonde, blue-eyed, and long-legged beauty was not what one would have expected at all. 

Carmen could speak Spanish, as well as fair French, but English was her mother tongue. She'd grown up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with side trips to Europe and the highest-class areas of the United States. 

Carmen wanted to be more than another deb, and then another helpmeet to an executive like her father. She liked challenges. That was a big part of her decision to go into medicine. Once she had made her decision, she proceeded at warp speed, finishing high-school early and then getting her bachelor's in three years. She was in her third year of medical school when she first really started noticing Mamoru Chiba, though she had run across him before. 

Chiba was gorgeous and he knew it, and he flirted shamelessly with every girl who would put up with it--and with older women. Carmen remembered that from her previous encounters. But now that he was starting medical school, she saw him more often, and discovered he was not what she had first thought. She noticed that he never left with any of the girls or women he flirted with. Stanford was quite sensitive to sexual harassment now, thanks to some bad publicity from a few years earlier. Carmen did have a friendly ear or two in Administration by her third year, and from them she found that Chiba didn't have any complaints filed on him. So, the flirting wasn't serious, and he was sensitive enough not to play his little game with anyone who might misunderstand. 

Including herself, Carmen realized. 

From that moment, Mamoru Chiba presented a challenge to Carmen Gonsoles. A lesser man would have been doomed . . . 

* * *

Once Carmen had decided Mamoru Chiba was worth pursuing, at least for awhile, she took the direct approach. Noticing him in the hospital cafeteria, she sat down across from him and said, "Hi. I'm Carmen. Remember me?" 

Chiba looked up from his meal and said, "Yes. You proctored Dr. Nan's last test, didn't you?" 

"Yes," said Carmen, "But I've seen you around for ages." 

He held out his hand, and she shook it. "Chiba Mamoru. Or Mamoru Chiba, as you style your names here." 

_Good. I couldn't call him by name before, or he would have known I'd been doing a little snooping._ "Mamoru. Japanese?" 

"Yes. I'm from Tokyo. I've lived in Japan most of my life. And you?" 

Carmen replied, "From the wilds of Michigan. Grosse Pointe." 

"Very _rich_ wilds, I have heard," said Chiba.

"Yes." _Sharp, not just in medicine . . ._ "Did you hear about the recital Friday night?" 

"Yes." 

"Would you like to go? Somebody gave me a couple of tickets." _After I gave them a couple of hundred._

Chiba said, "Yes, but I'm afraid I already have tickets. And I'm going with someone. But it will be good to see you there. I'm sure you can find someone else who will want to go." 

Carmen said, "Oh, I think that's a safe bet . . . Geez, it's later than I thought. Gotta run!" 

"But your food?" 

Carmen was more interested in a quick exit. "You can have what you want. See you!" 

* * *

Ginger Han was not enthusiastic. "A recital? I was going to Shoreline to catch the Stones." 

"The Stones? Are you going with your _mother_?" sneered Carmen.

Ginger said, "No, with Kenny. They have a couple of great warm-up bands, and, you know, maybe I'll get to see one of them die on stage." 

"How could you tell?" asked Carmen rhetorically. "Ginny, you _owe_ me. And _Kenny_?" _Very low on the food chain, Kenny._

Ginger whined, "Well, I really wanted to go . . . why me? You could get a guy." 

Carmen said, "I don't want just a guy. I want a particular guy." 

"Then why not go with him?" asked Ginger.

"Because he's going with someone else," said Carmen.

"Oh, _I see._ You go with me, so I'm not in the way when you make your move." This was not the first time Carmen had used Ginger as a decoy.

Carmen said, "Yes, my lackey, that is my evil plan . . . do you have a formal that isn't too extreme?" 

"You mean, that doesn't show off my boobs?" said Ginger Han.

"Yes, dairy queen." 

Ginger began beating Carmen with a pillow. 

* * *

Carmen and Ginger got to the recital just in time, and had to sit in the very back. Carmen could see that Chiba was sitting in the front row, next to a statuesque brown-haired girl only slightly shorter than himself. Carmen caught enough glimpses of her profile to see that she had an even larger bosom than Ginger. There was someone sitting at Mamoru's right, but the person was so short Carmen was not even sure of the sex until she caught a glimpse of a bare shoulder. 

Once the recital started, Carmen paid more attention to the music. The violinist was clearly a prodigy, but not altogether pleasing; perhaps her style was too unconventional to be appreciated. She was icy, elegant, and almost supernaturally graceful. The pianist was technically flawless, but not at the level of his partner. Between pieces, Carmen said to Ginger, "He's good, but he needs more experience. And it sounds to me like he might be holding back to make her seem better." 

"Who cares!" exclaimed Ginger. "_Look_ at him!" She was all but licking her chops.

In the middle of the next piece, however, came an unexpected interruption. A baby wailed. The pianist got up and disappeared offstage. The violinist apologized to the audience. "I'm sorry, but our baby needs Haruka now." Then she played a couple of solo pieces without notes. 

During the second break for applause, Carmen remarked. "She's better than I thought at first." 

"Who cares. They have a baby," said a much-deflated Ginger Han.

"Yes," said Carmen, deciding to rub it in a bit. "She's quite the performer. Playing while her guy takes care of the kid." 

"Yeah. What a guy . . . what's your guy doing?" 

Chiba took the stage, exchanged a few words with the violinist, and then sat down at the piano. He played well, though clearly inferior to the tall blonde he had replaced. 

When the recital ended, Carmen dragged Ginger up to the stage. She was dismayed to find not only the statuesque girl there first, but two more girls from the front row. There was a stunning raven-haired girl in a red silk _cheongsam_, plying a fan with elegant subtlety as she talked. Beside her was a blonde who practically oozed pheronomes, and yet conveyed innocence--_big trouble!_ Both the girls seemed to know the violinist quite well--and Chiba. But Chiba was not so absorbed in them and the others on the stage to ignore Carmen. He introduced Carmen, and Carmen did the same for Ginger. That was about all that happened for awhile, from Carmen's viewpoint. 

Then Chiba and the Violinist headed offstage in the direction the pianist had vanished. Carmen noticed that Ginger had disappeared. She followed Chiba as subtly as she could. She managed to catch up with him just as the violinist turned off the corridor into a side room, and a woman emerged from the same room. 

Chiba stopped so quickly Carmen actually ran into his back before she could stop herself. She muttered an apology, but Chiba didn't seem to take notice. Instead, after a moment, he said, "Usako." 

"Mamoru," said the woman--young, Carmen saw, but definitely a _woman,_ complete with a child on her hip. She was shorter than Carmen but still tall for a woman. She had blond hair, the same shade as Carmen's. The woman also had blue eyes, though a deeper blue than Carmen's, and set under almond lids. She was wearing a simple black dress, barely a formal. The child was a little girl, in a little middie-dress. She was perhaps a year old, with strawberry-blond curls, and light brown eyes which looked at Carmen . . . and seemed to look through her, as well. Carmen Gonsoles shivered for a moment, before she was able to rationalize away the odd moment of perception. Then she blinked, stepping back just a bit, and said, "Your little one has good lungs." 

The woman in black replied, "If you mean, she cries very loudly, she does, when she cries. But it was Haruka's baby that you heard. Sarah seldom cries. Not much scares my little moon." The woman glanced back at Chiba, who bent down for a moment to kiss the head of the child, and then went into the room. 

Instead of following Chiba, Carmen stayed in place. The young woman was an element she had not anticipated. "Are you Chiba's ex? Is this his kid?" 

"We were engaged once, but, no, Sarah is not his child." 

Carmen noticed that two of the girls he had seen earlier passed her on either side, and formed up on either side of the woman in black: Rei, the girl in the _cheongsam,_ and Minako, the first blonde. A third person passed, and stood between her and the woman with the child, someone she had barely noticed. She was an older child, pre-adolescent, and she looked fragile, but she was another one with unsettling eyes, which were so dark it was hard to see they had pupils--although when light caught them, Carmen could see that they were actually not black but a very deep purple. 

The woman in black put a hand out on the shoulder of the girl, who was also in black, and said, "It is all right, Hotaru. Carmen means no harm." 

Carmen put on a smile, and then went into the room Chiba had entered. Inside, she found Mamoru speaking with the violinist and the pianist. The pianist was sitting with his back to Carmen, with the violinist at his side, and both were facing Chiba. The jacket he had worn was hanging on the back of his chair. Ginger Han was also in front of the pianist, staring at him. While Carmen was wondering why Ginger seemed transfixed, Chiba kissed the violinist on the cheek, and then bent down to do the same to the pianist. 

_Oh, no. Bi-guy. How did I miss _that? Carmen made up her mind to cut her losses and retreat, but she had to get Ginger first, who seemed to be hypnotized. 

"Ginny, _there_ you are," she said, passing by the pianist to grab Ginger's wrists. "I wondered where you'd run off to. Come on, we've got to get going, remember? Remember?" 

Ginger took the hint at last. "Oh, yeah. Uh, nice to meet you guys." 

"I am sorry I could not play the whole recital, but Titania needed me," Carmen heard the pianist say. 

"She just won't take the bottle sometimes," said the violinist. Carmen had turned back just in time to see the violinist finish her comment by caressing the infant's head. 

The infant that the pianist had at her breast. 

Carmen, of course, would dig at Ginger mercilessly for weeks for mistaking the pianist for a man, even though she had made the same mistake. She would actually convince Ginger she had known from the first. 

But that evening wasn't quite over. Carmen had come up with a fallback plan: ambush Chiba on his way out of the recital hall. When he came out, however, he was with none of the girls she had noticed. Instead, he was with a little mouse of a girl with glasses, who hung on his arm as if she were afraid to lose him. 

She decided to let him run free, for the moment. Taking a man away from a little mouse like that would be like drowning a kitten. But if Chiba left her, Carmen would be ready for another run at him. 

* * *

Medical school was hard work, even for someone as brilliant as Carmen Gonsoles. She did not have a lot of time to brood over the problem of Mamoru Chiba, and she did not lack for dates when she wanted them. None of the young men or not-so-young men she went out with really interested her, though. Carmen found she could manipulate every one of them with hardly an effort. Some of them were nice enough for her to try to fix up with Ginger Han, but they would never do as steady fare for Carmen. 

* * *

Several months after the recital, Carmen saw Chiba with the girl who had worn the red _cheongsam_ and plied the fan. They were walking arm-in-arm. 

A few days after that, in the plaza outside the campus bookstore, Carmen spotted the mousy girl at a table, eating a sandwich while she read. Carmen went to her. "Excuse me. Didn't I see you with Mamoru Chiba once or twice?" 

The girl looked up at her, a little startled. She recovered in a moment, and answered. "Yes. I remember Mamoru introducing you. Carmen Gonsoles? You are in third-year?" 

Carmen said, "Yes . . . I'm afraid I've forgotten your name. I've hardly seen you with Chiba since. He seems to keep you a secret." 

The mouse said, "I don't like to go out that often. And Mamoru and I are no longer together." 

"I'm sorry," said Carmen.

The mouse said, "Why? It is not your fault. Do you want to sit down?" 

"Uhhh . . . Yeah. Thanks." Once she had settled in place, Carmen said, "Listen . . . I saw Chiba with someone else a few days ago. I think she was at the recital." 

The mouse said, "Hino-san. He is dating Hino Rei now, mostly." 

Carmen asked, "How well do you know her?" 

"She is one of my best friends." 

Carmen said, "Hell of a friend, to take him away from you." 

The mouse retorted, "She did not take Mamoru away. I broke up with him." 

"You did? Why, on earth?" Chiba was too big a fish to casually throw back in the water.

Ami the mouse-girl, who had been nibbling at her sandwich and reading her book all through this--a biochemical text in German--put down her sandwich and closed her book. "Why are you so interested in Mamoru?" 

Carmen recoiled slightly. The mouse seemed to have turned into a cat for the moment, and Carmen wondered if she should find a hidey-hole. But the girl was smiling in a sly but benign way . . . "He's interesting. I thought I might like to go out with him sometime." 

The girl said, "Yes . . . you are very pretty, and smart, and you are going to be a doctor, like Mamoru or me. And you are Mamoru's age. Mamo-chan was always uncomfortable with us being younger." 

"Us?" 

The girl said, "Usagi and I. And Hino-san, now." 

"Usagi?" Carmen wondered what she had started here.

"She was Mamoru's fiancee." The girl lost most of her smile. 

"The one with the baby? I mean . . ." Carmen had put the strange encounter in the back of her mind, but now she remembered.

"Yes, Usagi has a baby," said the girl.

"But not his," said Carmen. She remembered that, now . . .

"No." 

Carmen sat in silence for several moments. Discovering that she had the initiative again, she asked, "Why did you break up with him? I mean, I didn't see you with him very much, but you looked like you wanted him a lot. Like you really loved him." 

The girl said, "I will always love Mamo-chan. But that does not mean we should be together." 

Carmen asked, "What was it? Was he seeing someone else on the side?" 

"No. He was not cheating on me." 

"Then what?" asked Carmen.

The girl sighed, took of her glasses, and kneaded the bride of her nose for a moment. "When we made love, he would call me 'Usako.' Not always, but . . ." 

"Then he _was_ cheating?" said Carmen.

"No," said the girl. "He was faithful to me. But Usagi still holds his heart." 

Carmen said, "If he still loves this Usako or Usagi or whoever, why doesn't he just get back together with her?" 

"Usagi will not allow it," said the girl, quite forcefully.

Carmen thought about that for a few moments. The girl said nothing more, but waited for her to respond. Finally Carmen asked her about what she thought of Stanford, and that led to quite a long conversation. Carmen found she liked Ami the little mouse, and made it a point in the following weeks to speak with her whenever she got the opportunity, even when she wasn't checking out Chiba. 

* * *

While Carmen was getting to know Ami, the police in Palo Alto were puzzling over a murder. A man was found on a trail near the Stanford Campus. The police had no problem identifying him: Luther Ponds had a thick record of arrests. He was also an informant, which explained why he had been out of jail. It also might explain why he was dead. 

It couldn't explain _how_. Ponds had drowned. How he had managed to do this miles from any body of water was a question that remained unanswered.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Two Fires **

REI COULD HAVE gone to Stanford, but she decided for UC Berkeley instead. She could still live with Usagi's family at the mansion. And she could also stay with her grandfather, who had surprised her by turning over Hikawa temple to a younger priest and coming to America. She had not really foreseen this, and it bothered her. Rei decided that her Grandfather was so close to her, there were things she had not allowed herself to see in him, even with her supernatural insights. 

The most important reason for choosing Berkeley was that if she went with Ami to Stanford, she would see her with Mamoru constantly. There was only so much of that she could bear, and she wondered again how Usagi could do it. 

But before the end of their first semesters, Ami broke up with Mamoru. He went out with other girls for awhile, including Rei, but as the dry, chilly winter warmed into a pleasant spring, it was Rei he went with most of the time, and then, all the time. Minako and Mako moved off; Rei did not have to ask them to know that they were leaving Mamoru to her. 

This should have been all Rei wanted. After years of growing desire, suppressed for the sake of duty and for her love of Usagi, she had Mamoru. With the tiniest effort, she could have him, not only for a night, but forever. And yet they went on as steadies but not lovers, progressing no further than fiery kisses, deep embraces, a brush here, a momentary touch there. 

Ami lived in a dorm at Stanford now, but when she visited, she nearly always stayed overnight. She had stayed with Mamoru many times. Now, she shared Rei's room, even though she could have taken a vacant one. 

On a weekend when Mamoru wasn't free, after the lights were out and they were both in bed, Rei asked, "Ami-chan?" 

"Yes?" 

Rei stumbled through the next question. "If you don't think it is too . . . personal . . . could you tell me . . . how long you dated Mamoru before . . . before . . ." 

"A month," said Ami. "We first made love four weeks after the first time we went out together." 

After awhile, Rei asked, "What do you think of Mamo-chan and I? Do we seem right to you?" 

Ami switched on her light and sat up. "Is what you mean, do I give you permission to make love? That is between you and Mamo-chan." 

Rei said, "I . . . I don't know. I want to . . . so much. You can't say it won't hurt you if I do." 

"No more than I hurt you when I made love with him. Surely no more than I hurt Usagi." Ami sighed. "But maybe he will not call out 'Usako' when you are making love. You have the fire. You have loved him for a long time, and known it. Do not hold back because of me." 

Rei said, "I am not sure . . . Mamoru was your first, wasn't he?" 

"Yes," sighed Ami. She switched off the light.

After awhile, Rei asked, "Are you seeing anyone else?" 

Ami said, "Not really. I have had dates with some guys at Stanford, but nothing will come of them. I guess the closest I have to a boyfriend now is Sumi Kurume." 

"You finally met him?" asked Rei. 

Ami said, "Not _really._ But we send e-mail to each other a lot. He is a friend of Umino-san, and they have started an internet business together, with some others. He's funny, and very smart, of course." 

Rei said, "Email does not sound very romantic . . . What about Urawa-san? What became of him, do you know?" 

Ami said, "Yes. Kurume looked him up for me, and Ryo wrote me a letter. He is going to Cambridge. He met a girl there whose family came from India. They fell in love. When her family tried to get her to marry another Indian boy she did not know, they ran off to Scotland and got married. Her family was very angry, but now there is a baby coming, and they are beginning to accept Ryo. I am glad for him." 

Ami had her own question. "Have you heard from Yuuichirou?" 

Rei said, "I have heard from his mother again. She says that he is engaged now, and that she hopes I will not cause trouble." 

Ami said, "But you haven't tried to reach Yuuichirou. Have you?" 

Rei said, "No. But she said he got a letter from someone about me. She thinks it was really me pretending to write as someone else. I didn't answer. What to say?" 

* * *

Two weeks and one date with Mamoru after, Rei was about to open the front door when it opened first. And there was Yuuichirou. He held his arms open and she walked into them. 

"Well . . . I guess you haven't forgotten me." 

Rei said, "I will never forget you . . . What are you doing here?" 

Before Yuuichirou answered they were swallowed up by the others. It turned out Yuuichirou had come only minutes before she got back from her last class. Everyone wanted to talk with him, especially her grandfather, who now seemed to think Yuuichirou was altogether a fine fellow, now that he wasn't after his granddaughter. 

He could only stay one night; he had to meet his fiancée and her family in New York City. "A big charity function. A big night for my mother and Sumiko. Father never did that sort of thing." 

"Then you should be there for her," said Rei. "Did you tell your mother you were stopping here?" 

"Yes," said Yuuichirou.

"She does not like me very much," said Rei.

Yuuichirou shrugged. "I told her. And Sumiko, my fiancee. I wouldn't have come if I hadn't done that. Besides, you have Chiba-san now. After I tell my mother that, I think she will stop fussing. I think a lot of this is because of losing my father, anyway. It's not like my mother to stay angry with people unless they are really bad. She could never believe you are a bad person. Bad for _me_, yes, but not a bad person." 

* * *

Rei waited until she heard no one moving in the house before getting out of bed. She didn't bother getting a robe; that would only waste time and perhaps make enough noise to wake Ami--if she was really asleep. 

Rei did worry that Yuuichirou might have locked the door to his room, but he had not. She entered quietly, although she did not take especially stealthy measures. 

She paused to listen to his breathing. This time she was sure: she had heard him sleeping often enough at the temple. He was not sleeping. 

She thought about slipping out of her pajamas, but she remembered what Nancy had told Ami. _If I have to think about it, the time isn't right._ But she did walk to his bed, pull up the bedclothes, and slip under them. 

His back was to her. She felt cloth on his legs, but his chest was bare. She kissed him on his back, just at the hard spot at the base of his neck. She said, "This night for me. Sumiko will have all your others." Then Rei spooned up to Yuuichirou, and waited for whatever he would do. 

* * *

The spring after that was a pretty miserable one, almost as bad as the winter before it. But by the end of finals week, the season became a wonderful summer. Rei would have walked home on such a day. But now she had Deja, who seemed to have been born with a fine sense of timing--she wouldn't fuss much unless Rei was late coming home. 

As she walked up to the front door from the bus, it opened. Usagi was there, with Chibi-Usa holding on to her leg--_Sarah, better to call her that_--and so was Ami. 

"What is happening?" Rei asked. 

"You have a visitor," said Usagi, scooping up Chibi-Usa. 

Sitting on one of the many couches in the huge front room was Usagi's mother, Minako's mother, and between them, Yuuichirou's mother. Yuuichirou's mother had Deja in her arms. 

Everyone else went elsewhere, leaving Rei alone with Yuuichirou's mother and Deja. Rei took Deja from her as she sat down next to her. Yuuichirou's mother moved away a little, and watched Rei while she played with Deja. _I am here now. I love you. You are mine. I am yours._

"When were you going to tell Yuuichirou?" asked Yuuichirou's mother.

Rei said, "Not soon. When she is old enough to wonder about her father." 

"Why did you keep this secret?" 

"Your son was about to get married," said Rei.

"Do you think Sumiko would be hurt any less if she found out later?" 

Rei said, "No. But when she has had years together with Yuuichirou, she will not want to lose him, not forever. And they should have children of their own. Is there one yet?" 

Yuuichirou's mother asked, "Why did you do this thing?" 

Rei held Deja close; she was nodding off. She gently rocked her body back and forth. 

"Why did you do this?" the woman persisted.

"Do what? Have Deja?" said Rei.

"Why did you sleep with my son?" Yuuichirou's mother asked.

Rei said, "I may never be sure . . . but he loved me for so long, and I returned so little. I was going with Mamoru, the one I always _thought_ I wanted. I could have had him forever. But I did not make love with him. If I had, he would have been mine forever. But it never felt right. One night with Yuuichirou felt more right than a life with Mamo-chan." She turned away from Yuuichirou's mother to let a couple of errant tears run down. Still facing away, she said, "Don't think I will pine away for your son. I'll find another, one who will be just mine. Not Sumiko's, not Usagi's. I'll find someone. And I am not poor. Deja will lack for nothing she truly needs." 

After some time, Yuuichirou's mother asked, "Why did you name her Deja?" 

Rei said, "Oh, it is silly . . . it is from one of those old novels Usagi likes to read. Deja was a Princess of Mars. I liked the name. It . . . seemed right." 

Rei felt hands on her shoulders. "If my son were to leave his wife and come to you, would you be for him? Or would you play with him until you tired of him, and throw him away, as you did?" 

Rei blurted, "_It was not like that . . . _I hurt him, but I did not know how much . . . But I will not take him from his wife. If I wanted to do that, all I would have had to do was tell him about Deja." 

Yuuichirou's mother said, "Tell me, what would you do, if you took my son? Exactly." 

Looking down into Deja's little face, seeing so much of her father there, Rei said, "I would be a bossy American-style wife. My career would come first. I would fuss over him, and argue with him. I would fight anyone who tells me any bad thing about him, even if I agree. I would make him change diapers, do laundry, learn to sew a little, learn to cook better than I can. I would make him teach Deja to ski as soon as she is big enough. I would . . . I would . . . " 

The hands on her shoulders squeezed. "My son did not marry Sumiko." 

* * *

**Chapter 8: Carmen Gonsoles **

CARMEN GONSOLES was missing Ginger Han terribly by her third month of internship. Ginger was doing her internship in New York. So she was very glad to see a sympathetic face: Ami Mizuno's. As usual, Ami was eating a sandwich over an open book, but she had a companion: an incredibly geeky-looking Japanese boy. 

"Who's your new friend?" asked Carmen, sitting down at their table. 

Ami said, "This is Mercurius, otherwise known as Sumi Kurume. Or Kurume Sumi, here. Kurume-chan, this is my friend Carmen Gonsoles." 

The geek replied, "I am pleased to finally meet you. Ami-chan has told me much about you." 

Carmen said, "Lies. All lies. What are you doing here? I thought you lived in Japan" 

Sumi said, "I have come to live here. It is the best place for my business, and I get to be near Ami-chan now. In fact--" 

Ami interrupted--something that she seldom did, at least in casual situations. "Carmen, are you free for the weekend?" 

Carmen said, "Yes, for once. 72 glorious hours. I plan on sleeping for 71 of them." 

"Want to sleep with me?" asked Ami.

"What?" Carmen did not expect to hear _that_ phrase from Ami.

Ami sneezed, which Carmen knew now was a sign she was embarassed. "What I mean is . . . how about coming with me for the weekend? I will staying in Kensington with my friends. You have never been there." 

"Well . . ." She felt Ami's shoe digging into her shin. "Yeah, why not?" 

* * *

Carmen had been hearing about "the place in Kensington" from Ami or even occasionally from Mamoru for two years by then, but actually going there was an overwhelming experience. It was not that it was a mansion--Carmen had never lived in one, but she had been in plenty of mansions in Grosse Pointe and elsewhere. It was all the _life_ going on. 

First, there was Umino and his family. Carmen had known him for awhile through Ami, before he had dropped out of Stanford, and she had known he was married and had a child. The first person she met at the mansion was his wife, who introduced herself as Naru. She had a baby on her hip, and obviously was going to have another one in a few more months. Two more children came up to her while Naru was introducing herself: two little girls, one of them obviously Umino's, the other-- 

The other was familiar. She was the child who had so unsettled Carmen when she had made her first disastrous run at Mamoru. And she still seemed to look through Carmen, although, mercifully, she ran off to play with Naru's girl after another moment. 

Before Carmen had long to think about that, Rei Hino came up to her, carrying yet another child. Carmen hadn't seen Mamoru's post-Ami flame in a long time. Still, she was warm enough. She pointed out her husband. "That is my Yuuichirou there, with his mother. She has been staying with us for a long while." 

"Who's the old man with her?" Carmen asked.

"Oh, that is my grandfather." Rei came close to whisper to Carmen. "They sleep together, but we are not supposed to notice." 

Carmen had barely begun to digest this when she discovered that the violin music she was hearing was not from a stereo. Michiru was playing, oblivious to all the chaos around her. Haruka, her partner, was sitting on the floor at Michiru's feet, with her child in her lap. The child seemed rapt, watching Michiru play. And there was something else: Michiru was about as pregnant as Naru. 

There was still more. Mamoru was nearby, standing arm in arm with Minako Aino, the blonde Carmen had marked down as _big trouble_ so long ago now. Carmen had been right; Aino had been the obvious fixture in Mamoru's life almost from the moment Carmen noticed that Rei wasn't. _Why did she wait?_ Carmen wondered again. By now she had seen Aino enough to see dozens of boys and men make perfect fools of themselves to attract her attention, while Aino didn't even seem to be aware of what they were about. Didn't _seem_--but Carmen had also heard Aino come up with a couple of astounding insights. The girl with the silly red ribbon in her hair was more than she seemed. She would have to be, to hold Chiba's attention for very long. Never booksmart, but streetsmart, somehow, despite her childlike aura. Carmen had kept her distance, even though she had no doubt that Minako had offered her friendship. In some ways, Aino seemed as spooky as Chiba's first ex, though Carmen could not find a reason for her feelings. It wasn't that Minako had Chiba. It was something else . . . 

Carmen also noticed that Minako was holding on to Mamoru closely . . . exactly as she remembered Ami had, when it was her time with Chiba. 

Carmen forced herself to unfocus on Chiba and his girlfriend, and spoke to Michiru. "Well, this is a production I hadn't heard of. This is why you dropped out of sight?" 

Michiru put on one of her most inscrutable smiles, and replied, "Yes. I did not think I would have trouble like Haruka, but I was wrong . . . I'm not sorry. I don't know if I will tour again." 

"Did you use a sperm bank?" Carmen asked, before thinking--Michiru always seemed to make her do that, on the few occasions they'd met since the recital. 

Michiru said, "No. I wanted my child to know her father. Mamoru obliged . . . and Minako, of course." 

Chiba was blushing, something Carmen had never seen before. It was clear to Carmen they hadn't been lovers, even though Michiru had let it seem so for a few seconds. Aino was laughing, but Carmen caught a false note in it, and something sad behind her dancing eyes. 

After a few minutes of trivial conversation, Carmen followed Ami through a doorway that led into the basement. There she found Naru again, sitting alongside her husband as he typed on one of three keyboards. Kurume, Ami's much taller nerd-boy friend, was also working, along with a few other nerds, of assorted races and even including a nerd girl. "Welcome to Mercurius.com," said Ami. 

"I would have liked to have stayed on at Stanford, but I just could not afford it," explained Umino, rubbing Naru's tummy a little later. 

Every one of the nerds in the basement had more money than Carmen's father. 

* * *

As they were settling in for the night, Ami remarked, "I used to share this room with Rei all the time, until she got married. You're the first to share it since then." 

Carmen said, "Thank you. I'm honored. I mean, I mean that. I'm not just joking." 

"I know," said Ami.

After thinking on it for awhile, Carmen asked, "What's up between Chiba and Aino?" 

"What do you mean?" asked Ami ingenuously.

Ami's question did not sound right to Carmen. "I think you know what I mean. I may not know Aino that well. I'll be honest, I don't _want_ to know her that well. But there's something up with her. If I can see it, it must be _huge_." 

Ami did not answer her for a notable interval. "There is something _huge_, but I don't think I should tell you more. You should talk with her." 

Carmen said, "Maybe . . . I don't know, she just sets me on edge. Not her fault, but she just spooks me. Almost as bad as Chiba's ex. Doesn't she live here?" 

"Usagi?" said Ami.

"Yes. Where is she, anyway?" asked Carmen.

"She had a date after school," said Ami.

Carmen said, "But I didn't see her . . . oh. Well, she's a big girl now, I guess." 

"Yes . . . " Ami was clearly uncomfortable talking about her friend. 

After a few moments Ami spoke again. "Thank you for coming." 

Carmen said, "Well, it wasn't any great sacrifice! I mean, gee, stay in this place instead of my dorm? You didn't have to kick me! Why did you do that, anyway?" 

Ami said, "I wanted you especially because Sumi had just asked if I was going to stay over tonight." 

Carmen said, "Oh. You wanted me to keep him from climbing all over you." 

"Yes, that is it," said Ami blandly.

"Ami?" 

"Yes?" 

"Would you say I know you pretty well by now?" asked Carmen rhetorically.

"Yes." 

"So, you want to tell me again why you wanted me here tonight?" Carmen asked.

Ami sighed. "I wanted you here because I was thinking about climbing over Kurume. It has been a long time since I made love." 

Carmen said, "Wait a minute . . . let me guess. You want this guy, but you want him to think it's _his_ idea." 

Ami said, "Yes. Ideally. At least I want him to wait a little longer." 

* * *

Carmen woke up later and couldn't sleep. Ami was oblivious. After awhile, Carmen decided on some herb tea, and quietly set out for the kitchen downstairs. As she approached the stairs, she spied Minako Aino on the first landing, kneeling, looking through the railing. Her face was lit up by a beam of moonlight, brightly enough for Carmen to see tears running down. She had a hand over her mouth, and was making no sound. 

But there was sound, from below, somewhere in the great front room. Carmen went to the railing and looked for what Aino must be looking at, and found it. Silhouetted in an open doorway, two people were closely embraced, kissing. One had to be Chiba. The other . . . his ex; Carmen could see those strange little buns she almost always wore in her hair. 

Something compelled Carmen to go to Aino on the landing rather than creep back to her room and forget about it. She simply led Aino back with her to her room, without a word. 

All that Carmen did with Aino was sit with her on Carmen's bed, but she did it until it was light and Ami woke up. Even then, Aino said nothing about what she had seen, or why she was in their room. 

Chiba was gone when they all came down to join the others for breakfast. Chiba's ex met Aino, and they went off somewhere alone for a long time. Then they returned, and Aino seemed to act as she always had before: cheerful, always helpful, a little goofy. But Carmen saw it was an act, and she didn't think she was the only one. 

* * *

Carmen did not forget what had happened on her visit with Ami, but there were nine months of internship remaining. She discovered that Chiba wasn't seeing any of Ami's friends during that time, and a couple of remarkable facts. But she didn't have time to act on any of these. 

* * *

Carmen Gonsoles had only seen her mother once in her internship year and her father not at all. When she returned to her family home in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, she had not set foot in it for nearly three years. It was unsettling to see how much had changed. Her baby sister Alison, the little surprise in her parent's lives, was twelve now. In not that many more years Alison would be off to college, and then what would their parents do with this house they already seemed to rattle around in? The hope that Matt would take it over with his own family had ended with his divorce six months into her internship. 

Carmen would have gone crazy if Ginger Han hadn't come to visit for a day. She explained to her friend what it had been like. "Now they want grandchildren from _me_. Especially my mom. She keeps asking me about boys I've been seeing. She's even tried to set me up a couple of times." 

Ginger asked, "What about Chiba? You dated him a couple of times." 

Carmen said, "Yes, I went out with him a couple of times. And that was it. I couldn't help asking him about what was going on with the other girls." 

Ginger said, "Enlighten me. I kinda lost track." 

Carmen said, "Well, he was still with the blonde, Aino, when I started. Then three months along, she caught him making out with his old girlfriend. I was there, actually." 

Ginger asked, "Which one, Ami or the one after her?" Ginger was fairly well acquainted with Ami.

Carmen explained, "No, no, before Ami. I think you only saw her once. Name's Usako--no, _Usagi_; Usako is a nickname Chiba always uses for her. Anyway, he knocked her up, and she had his kid, just before I left. But he'd already knocked up Aino and _she_ had his kid. And he fathered _another_ kid on that violinist, Michiru, though I think he was just a sperm donor there." 

Ginger said, "You mean, the one with the girlfriend who looks like a guy?" 

Carmen said, "Yeah, _Haruka_, that's her name. Anyway, for some reason the all had their kids at Stanford Hospital, and there is Chiba listed as the father of three kids by three different mothers in five months. And he just happens to be a medical student there. There was some talk, but they let him stay." 

"Geez, what a total sleeze!" exclaimed Ginger.

Carmen shook her head. "I don't think so. It's just that it is a weird situation, and no one is talking to me about it, not even Ami." 

"What situation? All of them pregnant?" asked Ginger.

Carmen said, "No, that's not what I meant. Aino--her name is Minako, and I got to know her pretty well--she backed off from Chiba to give his ex a clear shot. But his ex didn't take him back. Minako wouldn't explain why his ex won't take back Chiba. Even Ami wouldn't tell me. She just said there are some things she can't tell me." 

Ginger asked, "What about Chiba? You just said you dated him while all this was going on." 

Carmen shook her head. "Chiba told me he'd never really be over his ex, his 'Usako,' as he nearly always calls her. Really, he warned me. He would have left it at that, but I got just a little more out of him. I asked him why his ex wouldn't get back with him, even when she was having his kid. He said he couldn't tell me the reason, like the others. But he said she might be wrong. And that was it. I could never get him to even talk about it after that time." 

"What do you think the big mystery is?" asked Ginger.

Carmen sighed. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out, no matter what I do with Chiba." 

* * *

The mystery of Chiba's social life did not remain on Carmen's mind much longer. Three days later, Alison did not return home . . . 

* * *

**Chapter 9: Frog **

"CARMEN?" she heard her mother say into the phone. "Yes . . . Carmen, it's for you." 

One of the police officers asked, "Who is that?" 

"Oh, it's one of Carmen's friends," explained her mother.

"I'll take it," said Carmen. "In my room." The cop who had spoken tried to follow her in, but she closed the door after giving him a cold stare. She felt bad about that as soon as she had done it, but not long. _What good were the cops anyway?_

Picking up the phone in her room, Carmen said, "This is Carmen." 

Ami's voice answered; she didn't bother to identify herself. "Is it your sister that is missing? Alison Gonsoles?" 

Carmen said, "Yes . . . she didn't come home from school. The cops found her bike. Someone must have grabbed her . . . Oh, god, they'll never find her in time, she's probably . . . " _Probably dead._

Ami said, "I'll do all I can to help. Do the police have any idea who to look for?" 

Carmen said, "Yes, but not much. Why--" 

Ami cut her off, very insistant, very unlike Ami. "Tell me what they know. Please, _I need to know_." 

Carmen told Ami about the car some people had seen by Aly's bike, and the man. Someone began knocking on the door while she was doing it. Then her mother came in with a policeman and said, "Honey, you have to get off the line. If Aly has been kidnapped--" 

"Just a sec! Please?" Carmen cupped her hands over the pickup and said lowly, "I have to go now. The police say we need to keep the line free." 

Ami said, "Wait, do you have your cell phone?" 

Carmen said, "Yes, but it won't work here. I'm not subscribed." 

Ami said, "Get it ready, if you can. Kurume can get it activated, I think. Don't give up!" 

"Thank you . . ." Carmen hung up. 

Another man, plainclothed but an obvious cop, came into her room in a few moments, while she was just sitting on her bed with her mother, not saying what she was thinking, what her mother was surely thinking. "Ms. Gonsoles, who were you speaking with on the phone?" the man asked.

"A friend," said Carmen. 

"Who?" asked the cop.

"Ami Mizuno," said Carmen. 

The cop persisted. "Can you tell me more about her? Have you known her long?" 

Carmen was beginning to become irritated with this intrusive cop. "We've been close for a couple of years. Why?" 

"Your friend knew your sister was missing," said the cop.

"Well, it's all over the news!" Carmen said bitterly. 

The cop said, "Your friend was calling from California. I don't think this story is all over the news there." 

"You were listening in?" asked Carmen.

The cop produced a badge: he was FBI. "Yes, we were." 

"So you think _Ami_ is involved in this?" Carmen exclaimed.

The FBI man said, "She asked you about what the police knew about your sister's abduction. That is something the abductor would want to know." 

Carmen said, "No. No way! Mom, you've met her." 

Carmen's mother said, "Yes, I have. She's one of the sweetest, gentlest people I've ever met." 

"Maybe," said the FBI man, "But she might have some friends who aren't so sweet. I'd be interested in knowing who this Kurume is, who can activate cellphones. Could I see yours, by the way?" 

Carmen spent much of the following hours telling the FBI agent about her experiences with Ami and, of course, Chiba, and the rest of Ami's circle. Her mother and then her father started to listen in. While she was revealing all this to the agent, Carmen felt terrible, but when there wasn't anything else to say, she felt worse. There was nothing but waiting again, with every hour making the odds worse that they would ever see Alison again, alive. 

* * *

Then it was one day, and then two, and three . . . a week . . . a month . . . two months. No cops, no reporters, no more flyers to put up, for now. Alison's picture on a milk carton in the fridge. A stupid yellow ribbon on the door, another vain hope that no one would admit was such, in case there was one among them who still really believed Alison was alive, somewhere. _Sorry, Stanford Hospital, I won't be accepting the residency._

Matt, who had once seemed so strong, moved out, transferred, ran away from their parents, really. Carmen was not a great forgiver, but she saw it was just too much for her brother. She herself was the only strong enough to keep her parents from completely breaking down. Strong enough, so far . . . 

Amid all of this pain, there was still more. Ami didn't call, didn't write. Carmen made calls to California. Ami was gone; personal business; she couldn't be reached. _Sorry, we can't say._ Or don't know. Could Ami be mixed up in Alison's disappearance? Every fiber of Carmen's heart told her "no," but why had Ami dropped out of sight? Carmen even tried Chiba. He knew something, but I wasn't telling. He had ended the call with the same thought Ami had given her: "Don't give up hope." 

* * *

The Gonsoles family was Catholic, on both sides, but not particularly religious. But now Carmen's parents started going to Mass regularly; she saw her mother working through her rosary. Carmen did not participate, and they did not ask. Carmen had said her last prayer on the third night after Alison vanished. She did not think she would ever say another. 

It was Christmas Eve. Carmen was alone in her home. Her parents had insisted on going to midnight Mass, something they had done even when they hadn't been pious. The weather was bad, which was saying a lot in Michigan in December. Frigid gusts; ice on the streets. But Carmen's parents went. Carmen had stayed. 

She watched the late news for awhile, but switched off when Alison was mentioned. She thought about checking to see if the yellow ribbon was still on the front door; it might have been blown off. But there might be a camera pointed at the door, at the house . . . she didn't even approach the windows, to look. _I'm crazy to think they would do that, in this weather . . . _ but Carmen did not check the door, did not go to the windows, as midnight approached, and arrived, and passed. 

She waited in silence. No radio. Nothing she wanted to hear on the stereo. The wind howled sometimes, but in between the gusts, not even the ticking of a clock. Carmen turned off the lights, except for the tree, and sat in the living room. There were gifts under the tree, for her mother, for her father, for herself . . . and for Alison. Even she had bought something for Alison, a little silver frog, with eyes of green crystal; a brooch. When Alison had been an annoying little nuisance, Carmen had called her "Frog." 

Then there was a new sound. A chirping. Carmen was not sure what it was or where it was coming from or even if it was real, for many seconds. Then she remembered. It was the cellphone she had brought from Stanford. She found her way to her room without bothering to switch on the lights--moonlight poured in the side and back windows, and she had been sitting in the dark for a long time. 

She had never gotten a subscription for it. She had plugged it into its charger on that first night, after the strange call from Ami . . . 

She picked it up and activated it. 

"Carmen?" The voice was Ami's. 

Carmen said, "Yes . . . Ami? How . . ." 

"Are your parents at home?" Ami asked.

Carmen continued to stumble over her words. "No, they are . . . how did . . ." 

Ami said, "I have never been to your house. Do you have a pretty big back yard?" 

"I guess . . . Ami, what is this about? Why . . . who?" Carmen could hear Ami talking to someone else, in Japanese, and other people speaking, too. 

Ami asked, "Can you tell me how far away you are from your back yard right now, and about which direction?" 

"What?" _This call was so weird . . ._

"Please, just tell me," said Ami.

Carmen made her best guesses, and then asked, "Why? I've been trying to find you for months now. Why do you--" 

"Do you have a door in the back of your house?" asked Ami.

"Yes." 

Ami commanded: "Go open it. You will understand everything you need to in a few minutes." And then the connection was cut. 

It was so crazy, Carmen went to the back door and opened it and stood there shivering for a moment before she began to really think how crazy it was. The back yard was lit bright by the moon; then dark as cloud rolled in front of the moon, then bright again-- 

* * *

Philip and Marie Gonsoles returned to their home at almost three in the morning. They had stayed talking with parishioners who had known Alison. It was almost a wake, bittersweet, but it left them with something more than the familiar hollowness to go home with. By the time either thought about calling, it seemed pointless; they would be home soon, and, anyway, Carmen was surely asleep by now. 

The porch light was on, and the livng room lights, set on a dim level. Marie peered in through the windows as they passed by before just before turning into their driveway. "I see Carmen. She's asleep on the couch." 

Philip said, "I wonder how long she waited up . . . Geez, the door opener won't work. Probably ice in the tracks again. Probably just blown another fuse, too. Better than the motor . . . You might as well go inside. It'll take a few minutes to get 'er open." 

Marie said, "All right. I'll have some hot eggnog ready for you when you get in. Or some chocolate?" 

Philip said, "Just some decaf. Nothing heavy." 

"All right," Marie said, getting out of the car.

Philip Gonsoles swore at the garage door while he wrestled with the latch, wondering if he would _ever_ find a contractor who would fix the blasted thing or replace it with something that worked. He did this for perhaps a minute when he heard his wife scream. He scrambled into the house, almost falling on an icy patch on the walk. 

"What's wrong?" he shouted, before he could take in the scene inside. Then he dropped to his knees. 

There, in front of him, his wife was holding someone very closely, someone with long, blonde hair that you might think was Carmen if you expected to see Carmen. But Carmen was standing a few feet away. 

It was Alison. She looked over her mother's shoulder, and said, "Hi, Daddy. Can we open the presents now?" 

* * *

**Next:** Ginger Han lets Mamoru into her heart, and finally meets his mysterious ex. 

* * *

**Send Comments to: [sewell_thomas@hotmail.com][1]  
Site: [http://www.geocities.com/oldgringo2001/dream/][2]**

   [1]: mailto:sewell_thomas@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/oldgringo2001/dream/



	4. A Lover and a Friend

**Under Black Wings, Part Four**

**A Sailor Moon Fan Fiction by Thomas Sewell**  
[**sewell_thomas@hotmail.com**][1]

...... = _thought quotation_

**Chapter 10: Ginger Han **

GINGER HAN had thought once that Carmen Gonsoles was almost like a sister, even after she'd gone to New York for her internship, while Carmen had stayed at Stanford. But after Alison had disappeared, she had heard less and less from Carmen. And after Alison had returned, she had heard nothing. That is, nothing _important._

And now, here was Carmen, at the orientation meeting for the first-year residents who would start on Monday. Ginger wondered why she stayed outside the meeting room, waiting for Carmen to come out. 

At last, the meeting was over, and Ginger saw Carmen coming out. But just as Carmen noticed her, Ginger saw her eyes fasten on someone else. 

It was Mamoru Chiba. _Of course, he would have to show up _now. 

But she had waited for a long time. Ginger pushed her way past Mamoru and stuck out her hand. "Hi. Remember me?" 

"Of course." Instead of taking her hand, Ginger hugged her. "It's been too damned long." 

Ginger was crying, and she knew Carmen was, by the way her body pulsed in her arms. When they were both done with that, they disengaged. Ginger saw people staring, for a moment, but they all moved on once they were caught. Except Mamoru. 

"Chiba. What do you want?" Ginger asked, brazenly. 

Mamoru was taken aback. "Actually, I wanted to see if you would go out with me tonight. I didn't know Carmen was here." 

"Just got back a few days ago," said Carmen. "I'm staying with Usagi's family for now." 

"You are?" asked Mamoru. "Are you back in the program?" 

Carmen said, "Yes, do you believe it? I don't think I'll ever hear of another hospital offering a residency to anyone who didn't show up for their first offer." 

"Yes . . ." Mamoru turned to Ginger. "You haven't given me your answer, _Ms. Han_." 

Here it was. Ginger Han had been allowing herself to wonder if there was a future for her with Mamoru Chiba. They'd had dozen dates, spread out over nearly a year, but each one had been more involving than the one before. A kiss with Mamoru had felt more intimate than all the sex she'd ever had. 

But here was Carmen, and here was magic between her and Mamoru, no matter how decent he was being about it. 

Ginger said, "Chiba, I have this rule. I don't date interns. See me next year." 

Mamoru actually recoiled an inch or so, though he didn't lose much of his smile. 

Then Ginger heard Carmen say, "I've got the same rule, Chiba. So run along now. I have a lot of catching up to do with Ginny." 

Mamoru held up his palms, made a pushing pantomime, and then walked away. 

Ginger wasn't able to ask any more questions until they were out of the hospital. Then she said, "I can't believe you said that! Do you mean it?" 

Carmen said, "For now. And I saw you. You didn't tell me you fell for him." 

"You haven't told me sh--" Ginger stopped herself. "You haven't told me anything _real_ for a long time." 

"You mean, about the 'Christmas Miracle?'" said Carmen sarcastically.

Ginger said, "I'm not some idiot reporter. And I don't really mean that . . . I mean, what is really going on with you?" 

Carmen looked at Ginger for a long time before saying anything. Finally, she asked, "Are you really sure you want to know all of it? Because once you know, it's going to change your life." 

Ginger said, "I want to know . . . I need to know. Change my life?" 

Carmen said, "Yes. I mean that . . . Are you free until Monday?" 

"Ginger said, Yes, I am . . . I thought we might do something. Go to Santa Cruz, or maybe fly up to Lake Tahoe. So I traded off." 

"Thanks . . . I need to make a phone call. Watch my stuff." Carmen set down her shoulder bag, and then walked off. Ginger watched her walk to a spot far enough away so she couldn't hear, get out her cellphone, and use it. She talked for quite a long time, occasionally giving her a little wave. Then she finally came back. "Back to your place for some things, and then we're off." 

"For where?" asked Ginger.

"For my place," said Carmen. "I'm staying with Usagi's family." 

Ginger Han exclaimed, "With Mamoru's ex? I thought you were joking!" 

Carmen said crisply, "No. Come on, we need to get going. Where's the Benz?" 

Ginger said, "I don't have it. My mom and dad won't pay my insurance any more, so I gave it back. I never used it much here, anyway." 

Carmen asked, "What have you been doing?" 

Ginger said, "Bumming rides. Mostly from Mam--from Chiba." 

Carmen said, "Gotcha. Here, call him up." She handed Ginger her cellphone.

Ginger said, "I just told him I wouldn't date him. So did you." 

Carmen said, "This isn't a _date_. _Call him._" 

* * *

Ginger Han had called Mamoru, and he had arrived promptly--actually, within minutes. Whatever it was that Carmen had promised to tell her, she obviously wasn't going to spill in front of Mamoru . . . unless he already knew. But Mamoru had always been a person of secrets; Carmen hadn't been. 

There was something else that Ginger thought about a lot on the long crawl through Friday traffic. She had seen Usagi, or Usako, as Mamoru nearly always called her, only once, years ago now, and had never spoken with her. Now she was going to spend a weekend under the same roof with Mamoru's mysterious ex. 

* * *

Ginger Han's parents were both architects and she had thought she would become one herself before meeting Carmen and deciding to switch to medicine. That, and the need to focus on something she was confident with, led her to start evaluating the mansion as soon as she saw it. Her first comment was really to Carmen, though of course Mamoru could hear as well. "My mother and father would throw up if they saw this place!" 

"Why? What's so bad?" asked Carmen. 

Ginger said, "Well, just look at the front! Pillars from all three orders! And they look like they just hold up the upper floor! No transition. I bet they started building this in the late Thirties, and then added the pillars in 1940 or 1941." 

"Why?" asked Carmen, sounding bemused.

Ginger said, "Because it's a pathetic attempt to make this place look like Tara. You know, Gone With the Wind? The movie came out in 1939. Inspired a lot of bad architecture." 

At that time, they had negotiated the front driveway and Mamoru had stopped in front of the front door. Ginger looked up to see two blondes, both holding children. One was Minako Aino, who waved and smiled at her as Ginger looked up. The other, slightly shorter, was Mamoru's ex. 

They were not the only people there. As Ginger got out and fetched the few things she had brought from her tiny apartment, two women and a man, younger than either of her parents but clearly of the generation before her own, talked to Mamoru in Japanese. Ginger had some Japanese, but they were speaking very fast and actually arguing, if politely; she didn't follow much of it and didn't try, because it was private. But she did not fail to catch that the older people wanted Mamoru to stay. And as she passed by the two blondes at the entrance, she saw a little strawberry-blonde girl looking at the scene with sad eyes. Then the little girl looked up into Ginger's eyes, and Ginger knew she had an enemy. 

Looking away and down for a moment before she went inside, Ginger saw someone she hadn't noticed. Standing beside the steps up to the too-narrow portico was a little man--a midget. He looked up at her smiling, and put a hand to the bill of his cap, which bore the legend: "Because I'm the Boss and You're Not." Ginger realized that he was in a perfect position to look up her skirt. 

Ginger hurried inside. 

Ginger like the interior better. There was a vast, high-ceilinged front room that ran the width of the house. She could see rooms high overhead, with two broad stairways leading up to a complete walkway. "Looks like an old hotel." 

"Not surprising," said an unfamiliar voice. "The woman who put it up was an heiress. Her family made their money in hotels." It was the little man. He held up his hand, and Ginger took it for the moment. "D.A. Alverson. I'm the current owner. And yourself?" 

"Ginger Han. What does the D.A. stand for?" 

The little man said, "Don't ask. 'Dick' will do, if you want to be familiar." 

Ginger said, "I've heard a little bit about you before, Mr. Alvarson." 

The little man said, "Actually, 'Doctor,' if we are being more formal, Ms. Han. I've acquired a few degrees over the years." 

Mamoru's ex swept up to them and spoke to Alverson in Japanese. "Let her go, please." Then she switched to English, and said to Ginger, "Come, I'll show you your room." 

* * *

Five hours after she arrived, a little past midnight, Ginger was at last alone with Carmen in the room they were sharing. Carmen was saying as she got into her bed, "I'm glad you're here tonight. I think I'll sleep better." 

"Why?" asked Ginger.

Carmen said, "Well . . . Aly slept in my room ever since she came back. I got used to having someone around, I guess . . . She says she's doing all right, but I think she's having the same feelings . . . I miss the little frog, you know?" 

Ginger said, "It's only been a few days." 

Carmen said, "Yeah . . . Yeah, I guess . . ." 

Ginger waited a moment before saying, "All right, we're finally alone. You want to tell me what is really going on with you, Carmy?" 

Carmen sat up in her bed, put her pillows behind her back, and curled up, hugging her legs with her arms. Ginger had seen this a few times before; it was the sign she was going to talk for a long time. 

"What do you think of Mamoru's ex now?" asked Carmen.

"Which one?" asked Ginger.

Carmen said, "The one that counts. Usagi, or Usako, like he always calls her." 

Ginger said, "Yeah. Her dad calls her that, too, I noticed." 

Carmen said, "Well, what do you think of her?" 

Ginger said, "I don't know . . . just a girl with a couple of little kids. She's a good mom. She's really good looking, but Minako looks even better. She's not dumb, but compared to Ami? And I can still see there's a thing between him and Rei. I just don't see what he sees in her . . . except . . ." 

"Except what?" Carmen prompted.

"Well, the way she gets people to jump. It's like isn't paying attention to what's going on, and suddenly, she tells you to do something, and you do it . . . Actually, that's kinda like my mom." Ginny shrugged, with hands in the air. "Maybe Mamoru likes a woman who can boss him? I didn't see that. That's not me . . . But what does any of that have to do with what's going on with you? Have you really fallen for Mamoru? I thought you were after him because he was the hardest to get. _That's_ you, Carmy." 

Carmen said, "It was me, when I started . . . " 

Ginger said, "Is that it? You've really fallen for Mamoru?" 

Carmen said, "No, that isn't it. He's gotten to me, but you're the one who has really fallen. Don't try to B.S. me about it. I know it. And Usagi knows it. That's why I'm telling you this stuff." 

Ginger asked, "Are you trying to talk me out of--" 

Carmen riposted, "Out of what? You don't date interns, remember?" 

Ginger realized Carmen had, once again, caught her out. "All right . . . I want to try with Mamoru. And I'm going to give him my best shot. And you aren't going to talk me out of it, Carmy. Not you, not Usagi, not anybody." 

Carmen said, "Then do it. You have my blessing. You have Usagi's blessing." 

"What?" 

Carmen said, "You do . . . really. And that means a lot more than you think it does." 

Ginger Han said, "Carmy, you're talking crazy here." 

Carmen said, "Give me a minute! . . . Just listen, okay? Okay?" 

"Okay . . ." replied Ginger uncertainly.

Carmen looked away from Ginger, bending her head down. "You've heard a lot of _crap_ on TV by now about the 'Christmas Miracle,' haven't you?" 

Ginger said, "Yeah. Some really bad stuff." 

Carmen said, "Well, since we didn't tell them everything, they made stuff up. I'm gonna tell you what really happened. My parents don't even know this, Ginny. Usagi wanted to tell them, but we talked her out of it, Aly and I. And Ami." 

"Usagi? Ami? What do they have to do with Aly?" Ginger asked.

Carmen did not turn back to Ginger. She went on. "The night Aly came back, I was alone in the house. I got a call from Ami. She told me to go open the back door. I know, it was _crazy_, but I did it. I waited for maybe a minute, maybe two, freezing my ass off. And then they were just _there._ Usagi, and Ami, and Rei, and Minako, and Mako--she's that tall one with the ponytail. And they'd brought Aly with them." 

"They stayed for maybe an hour. Mako made some herb tea for everyone, and Usagi pretty much cleaned out my refrigerator. Finally Aly told Usagi and Minako they needed to get home to their children. And they went out the back with the others, and they were gone." 

Ginger said, "You mean, they found Aly and brought her back? After all that time? Why--" 

Carmen said, "They found her . . . and they brought her back." 

"How?" asked Ginger.

Carmen said, "I don't know. I don't think I want to know _all_ of it. Aly won't even tell me . . . But they brought Aly back. Brought her back . . ." 

"Carmy, I don't understand." 

Carmen continued to stare down. "Do you remember hearing about that cabin? In February?" 

Ginger said,"Yeah, I remember." That had looked like the end, when they had found the bodies of all the girls under the cabin. "But Aly said she didn't remember . . . you mean she _does_ remember?" 

Carmen said, "No, not the cabin . . . but she remembers the guy." 

Ginger exclaimed, "Why didn't she tell the cops? He's still out there!" Xavier Goudan, the Cabin Killer, had never been arrested; _that_ would have been news much too big to miss.

"No, he isn't," said Carmen quietly.

"How do you know that?" asked Ginger.

Carmen said, "Because Usagi told me. They found him, too. He's dead." 

"You believe her?" asked Ginger.

Carmen said, "Yes, I do. When the Angel of Death tells you someone is dead, you believe her." 

Ginger Han repeated the phrase, "The Angel of Death." 

Carmen said, "Yes . . . sitting there in my kitchen with her black wings, scarfing down all my mom's herring, she told me what he looked like, what he said, and what they did to him . . . They call themselves _senshi--_that means "soldiers" in Japanese--"

"I know that, Carmy," Ginger interrupted, "I _can_ still speak pretty good Japanese."

"Just _listen_, Ginny," said Carmen. "Whatever they call themselves, they're like angels. And Chiba is one of them. That's what you have to know." 

Ginger said slowly, "Right . . . you want to tell me why this Usagi wants me to take her old boyfriend?" 

Carmen said, "I can't. I don't know. Aly does, but she won't tell me that, either." 

"Right," said Ginger.

Carmen Gonsoles said, "You don't believe any of this, do you?" 

"No," said Ginger Han, "I mean . . . the _Angel of Death_?

Carmen Gonsoles sighed. "It's the truth, Ginny. It really is." 

* * *

Saturday morning. As usual for Ginger, it began with a brief pang from the time when she was serious about following her mother's faith, but that soon passed. Then she looked at Carmen, and found her still asleep. 

Ginger looked at Carmen for a long time, thinking of the tale she had told. Did she really believe it? Carmen had set up some quite elaborate hoaxes before, but not with Alison . . . no, she believed it. Should she tell anyone? Who? _Mamoru? No, not Mamoru, not yet . . . _

With those happy thoughts, Ginger slipped on her robe and quietly left the room. The main room below was empty. She heard faint sounds of a television somewhere. She decided to follow it. Presently she smelled starch, and heard the soft hiss and muffled thumps of an iron. All these clues led her to the laundry room, where she found Usagi ironing while her older daughter held her younger one in her arms in front of a small portable television. The older child gave Ginger another look. 

Usagi said, "Be nice, little moon. She is a nice lady." 

The older child said, "She wants to take Mamo-chan away." 

Usagi said, "No one is going to take Mamo-chan away from us, little moon. Be polite, speak English now." Usagi put the iron into a wall rack, and went to her girls, kneeling down behind them and taking them in her arms. "Be nice, please . . . You are worried about something, Han-san?" 

Ginger said, "Yes . . . Carmen told me a crazy story last night. I think what happened to her sister affected her. Do you know anything about it? It was about you." 

Usagi said, "She said she wanted to tell you because you were her friend, and she didn't think she could be your friend if she didn't." 

Ginger said, "Wait a minute . . . do you know what she told me? I mean, she told me you were an _angel._ She said . . . well, she said some other stuff, but she told me you had wings." 

"Wings? . . . like these?" 

Ginger Han stumbled back. Usagi now had great black wings, folded around her children. Jewels studded her hair, including four rubies set in the eyes of two silver skulls which now adorned the little buns she wore. Ginger saw the older girl pull down a wing far enough to peek out at her. "Are you going to turn her into dust now, _okasan_?" asked the girl.

The Death Angel said, "No, little moon. Han-san is a nice lady. Her heart is good. It is full of love. She loves Mamo-chan, more than she thinks. If he chooses her, she will love him forever. She will make Mamo-chan happy. That's what we want for Mamo-chan, isn't it, little moon?" 

"Yes, _okasan_," said the girl, dropping back into English, but still using the Japanese word for "mother."

"Usako! You frightened her." 

Ginger Han jumped. It was Usagi's father, right behind her.

"I am sorry for that, _otousan_. But I had to show her, or she would think Carmen-chan has lost her mind." 

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Saturday at the Mansion **

GINGER HAN let Mr. Tsukino lead her away from the laundry room into the kitchen before she was really aware. Mrs. Tsukino poured her some tea, and asked, "Some breakfast? We are just having tofu and warmed-up rice. Makoto will cook a big American breakfast later. But that will be after the exercises." 

Ginger answered, "Tea is fine, for now . . . thank you." 

The Tsukinos spoke with each other, in English for the most part--they were obviously being polite. But Ginger could follow enough of their Japanese to know they weren't trying to hide anything from her. They spoke as any long-married couple would speak. The gardening service was going to spray, so children would have to be kept from playing in the yard for a few days. Maybe a week, to be safer. The tires on the blue van were getting worn; they should be replaced, especially the front ones. 

Ginger drank most of her tea before she spoke. "Excuse me, but I just saw your daughter grow wings. This happens all the time?" 

Mrs. Tsukino said, "We would rather not discuss Usagi's special affairs without her. More tea?" 

* * *

The 'exercises' were led by Rei Hino's grandfather, a hairless old gentlemen of uncertain age and a lecherous eye. There were no stylized shouts. Most of the participants turned out in martial-arts uniforms, including Mamoru and including some children. Usagi and Minako turned out in leotards and tights, and they were both late starters. Naru and a girl Ginger did not remember also wore leotards--as did Carmen--but they started on time. 

Ginger watched most of it sitting on one of the couches or chairs that had been moved to the back wall of the enormous front room. It looked pretty harmless to her, especially when the old man and the mothers and Rei's husband took the children aside for more instruction. Meanwhile, the others brought out a heavy, padded mat and unrolled it. Ginger helped with that, and then went to watch the children. She stood by Mamoru, who acknowledged her, but reserved most of his attention for the children, especially Usagi's and Minako's. That did not surprise Ginger, since Kimberly and Ishtar were his children as well. It did not surprise her that Usagi's older child, Sarah, did everything to please Mamoru, or continue to give Ginger hostile looks, especially when Mamoru spoke with Ginger. But she was surprised at how good the children were--not just them, but Rei's child, Deja, and Naru's two oldest, Pleione and Maia. 

Then that part of the exercises ended. Ginger had thought that this would be the last of it, but, instead, the old man began designating pairs to spar on the mat. This provided more revelations. The sparring looked little short of actual combat. Naru was excused--"pregnant again," was her short answer to Ginger's question. Shingo's match with Hotaru ended with his loss--but _not_ with his bloody nose; he went on after that. Yuuichirou, Rei's easygoing, immensely likable husband, was relentless in sparring; he won all but two of his matches, including one against Rei; he lost only to Haruka and to Minako. Usagi lost most of hers, even to gentle Ami, but she did not give up in any of them; each time the old man had to end it. The final bout was between Haruka and Minako, and it was frightening in its intensity. The old man ended the bout without a winner. 

Then they put the mat away, and moved the furniture and rugs back into place. And Rei's grandfather transformed back from the stern dojo-master to the avuncular lech of the evening before. He was joined by Dr. Alvarson, and together they seemed intent on not missing a moment when Ginger's bosoms might spill out from her robe and pajamas. Ginger decided it was time to dress for the day, before the big breakfast. 

After her shower--and the long wait for it--Ginger returned to her room and found Carmen waiting, half-dressed, sitting up in her bed. "Do you believe me now, Ginny?" 

Ginger did not waste time answering. 

* * *

Finding that Mamoru was spending the rest of the day with his children, and the other children, for that matter, Ginger did not pursue him. She explored the house and the grounds. The basement held a maze of computer equipment where Naru's and Ami's husbands toiled away with some others. Dr. Alvarson remarked that they were all very rich now, though they had made him and his company richer. A lot of their work looked like play, but Ginger could not understand much of it. 

The mansion had an attic with dormer-rooms, now used by the children. There was also another floor on the back side of the mansion, between the ground floor and the level of the bedrooms and guest rooms. Dr. Alvarson explained, "This is where servants who were not white had to live, when this place was first built." 

"No one would want to live here if they could help it." The ceilings were low, with protruding girders--the house looked like it was made of brick, but that was just a facing over steel and concrete. This partial floor seemed almost like a prison. 

"We use most of it for storage," explained Mr. Tsukino, "I thought of moving one of the big televisions up from the basement so the children could have somewhere to watch together without getting in the way, but that would mean taking out most of the partitions here." 

"It wouldn't harm the integrity of the building," said Ginger. "But, of course, that is Dr. Alvarson's decision to make. If you turn this into an entertainment center, it would considerably improve the resale value--my mother put a theater into a yacht once, in a space about as awkward as this." 

"That is always a consideration, Ms. Han," said the little man, not leering for a change. 

"Really? Would I have to move my darkroom here?" Mr. Tsukino took out a key and was about to put it in a padlock--then he noticed the hasp was open. He turned back to Ginger and little Dr. Alvarson and put his finger to his lips. Then he closed the hasp and locked the padlock, saying loudly "Oh, look what I did! I left it open the last time! Good thing I caught it before any children got inside!" 

In a moment, there was pounding from the other side of the door. Mr. Tsukino unlocked the door and opened it. Shingo emerged, his nose no longer bloody but his face quite red all the same. After him came Hotaru. 

Mr. Tsukino said, "We will talk about this later. May I have the key?" 

Ginger noticed that Mr. Tsukino was surprised when Hotaru handed the other key to him. He shook his head as the young couple left. "Ne-e-eh, like Usako with Mamoru, I am afraid." he muttered. 

Dr. Alvarson spoke up. "He is sensible, and so is she. And they are young." 

Mr. Tsukino said, "Yes, they _are_ young. That is what worries me so much." 

Alvarson said, "They care for each other." 

"That does not mean they will not get into trouble. Maybe they already have." Mr. Tsukino disappeared into his darkroom, and then emerged holding something in his hand. 

Ginger took it from him. "_I'll_ give this back to her." 

It was a bra. 

* * *

Carmen asked Ginger, "So, what did you tell her when you gave it back? I noticed you were talking for a long time." 

It was late, and they were in their beds, talking in the dark. 

Ginger said, "I sort of turned into my mom. I told her that she shouldn't rush into this. And I told her I wished I hadn't started having sex so early." 

Carmen said, "What did Hotaru tell you? I mean, if you think it's all right to tell." 

Ginger said, "Well . . . She said she was really sort of glad Shingo's father caught them when he did. She didn't think she was going to go as far as she did. And she said that Shingo is really scared he's going to lose her now . . . his father said he was afraid they were just like 'Usako and Mamoru.' I told her that, and she started to cry. She said that she was sure Shingo was the one she would love forever, but that she was afraid they would not be able to be together, like Usagi and Mamoru." 

Carmen asked, "Did she tell you why Usagi won't get together with Mamoru?" 

Ginger said, "No. I didn't ask, though . . . " 

Carmen said, "So they didn't actually--" 

Ginger said, No. "_Close . . . _They've been in that darkroom before, but Hotaru felt bad about hurting Shingo this morning. I guess she . . . overcompensated?" She sighed. "Raging hormones." 

"How are yours?" asked Carmen.

"Old and dried up," replied Ginger Han.

Carmen said, "Not that old . . . you haven't done the deed with Mamoru yet, have you?" 

"No." 

"Well, he's still here." 

"You're not serious!" exclaimed Ginger.

Carmen said, "When are you going to have another opportunity? Monday he's an intern and you're a second-year resident. He may not stay tomorrow night." 

* * *

After awhile, Ginger Han crept from her room. She knew where Mamoru should be sleeping; Carmen's suggestion had not fallen on her from a clear sky. 

But as she approached, moonlight revealed someone else by the door she was approaching. Though her hair hung loose, Ginger did not mistake the person looking through the half-opened door. It was Usagi. 

Ginger continued approaching after a pause, seeing that Usagi was not responding to her presence. When she was only a few feet away, Ginger could see silvery tracks glittering on Usagi's cheek. 

"What's wrong?" Ginger whispered. 

Usagi glanced at her, then pushed the door open a little more. Ginger peered in, and saw Mamoru lying in bed asleep. He had plenty of company: three little heads peeked out from under the same covers, two of his daughters and Sarah, Usagi's older girl, the one that had asked if her mother was going to turn Ginger into dust just that morning . . . 

Ginger watched for quite awhile before she felt a presence behind her. She was not surprised at all that it was Minako. 

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Founder **

GINGER HAN went along with Usagi and Minako. On the way where they were going, she saw Naru reciting something from a floating book in front of the little man. It gave her no pause. Magic had come into her world this morning, and it was not going to leave. 

They arrived where they were going: the kitchen, where they all ate ice cream. In between bites, Usagi told Ginger every horrible thing Mamoru had done to her, and everything he should have done but didn't, or didn't until far too late. Along the way she mentioned some of his powers, their adventures, and even their past lives. She finished up by saying, "I do not remember much of my past life, but I am sure he was as mean to me then." Minako had said little, but she hadn't contradicted anything Usagi had said. 

By the time Usagi finished, she had a larger audience. Naru and the little man, Dr. Alvarson, had completed whatever arcane business they had. Makoto had also drifted down, bringing a child, in fact the oldest Ginger had noticed in the house, or at least the biggest. Makoto had managed to get a small portion of ice cream for the girl before Usagi finished the last of it. By the way the child acted now, Ginger saw she was probably Makoto's. 

Naru remarked, "Now we will have to get more." 

"I'll pick some up later," said Usagi, rising. "I'm going out for awhile." 

Makoto rose. "You should not go out. You are upset. And you should not go out alone, especially now." She put firm hands on Usagi's shoulders. 

"You cannot come. You cannot fly yet. I will be fine. I would rather be alone for a little while, anyway. No one thinks it odd when Haruka goes off by herself." Usagi removed Makoto's hands. 

Makoto said stubbornly, "That is Haruka's way, not yours." 

Minako interjected, "I will go with you." 

"No, stay here," said Usagi.

Minako insisted. "I will go with you. It is my place, and I can fly just as well as you." 

"The Princess of Jupiter is right, Sailor Moon," said the little man. "You are upset. You would do better to stay home and rest. Or perhaps you could speak with the young lady you frightened so much this morning? You have set her upon the Prince as you set Venus on him. Don't you think you should explain why?" 

Usagi said, "I will explain later . . . tell her what you think is best, if you are really that concerned. I have to go. Come, Minako, if you are coming." 

Usagi went out the door; Minako followed. Ginger watched them transform and fly away. 

The little man sighed, shaking his head. There wasn't anything comical about him now. He turned to Ginger and said nothing for a moment. Then he turned away and spoke very gently: "Zoë, you should not hear what we must speak of now. Princess, would you take her back to bed?" 

"I will take you, Zoë," said Naru. "Would that be all right?" 

"Yes, Auntie," said the child. 

After Naru took the child away, Ginger asked, "Zoë is _yours_?" 

Makoto said, "Now she is. Her real mother was Kimberly." 

"Kimberly?" Kimberly was the name of Usagi's younger child, the one Mamoru had fathered. 

Makoto said, "Kimberly was Chibi-Usa's friend. Usagi named her second daughter for her. We found Zoë when we went to save Alison. Zoë was with people who were bad to her. I took her away. Please don't talk of this. If someone were to look closely, I might lose her. In fact, don't speak of the children here to anyone you don't completely trust." 

"Why?" asked Ginger. 

Some of the mischief reappeared in the little man. "Well, perhaps they would be curious why Naru had three children last year and five this year. Haven't you noticed that Ishtar and Kimberly are a little big for one-year-olds?" 

"They are really more than five, now," said Makoto. "We were in Zoë's world for four years. Actually, a little more." 

"And there hangs many a tale, Ms. Han. And . . ." He turned around suddenly. "Ms. Gonsoles. If you want to hear the bloody, bloody truth, join us. We will speak of Sailor Moon." 

Makoto had readied coffee for everyone by then. Taking a sip, Ginger said, "Sailor Moon? That was a cartoon from a few years ago." 

Makoto said, "Yes, but here, it is real. Not in Zoë's world or others, but here, it is. Or it was." 

"Was?" asked Ginger.

The little man poured a large amount of creamer into his cup, took a big gulp, and then settled back for some extended speaking. "The Moon Kingdom was in the past, but not the past of _this_ world. And Crystal Tokyo wasn't the only future for this world. You are both familiar with the cartoon? Or perhaps the manga?" 

"I am," said Ginger. "I was really into it when I was living in Japan. You mean it's all true?" 

Alvarson said, "Not all of it, but the basic outline is. Most particularly, it is true that Sailor Moon's future daughter came back in time. And that she was pursued by enemies. Crystal Tokyo was never a very stable timeline; that weakened it a lot. I don't think I am being immodest when I say that I know more about the dynamics of timelines than anyone I know of. I am not certain what caused that timeline to finally destabilize. But it is gone now." 

"What do you mean?" asked Ginger.

"'The future is not what we thought it was,'" said Mamoru. "That is what Usako said in the note. The one that told me she was not going to marry me." He came in and poured himself a cup. "I thought she would change her mind when she found out Chibi-Usa was not mine, but . . ." 

"Let me tell this part," said Makoto. "Usagi came here to America six years ago, with her family. She didn't do well in school--in fact, she was failing. She went to visit Mamoru at Stanford. But when she got there--she wasn't at _Mamoru's_ Stanford. She had gone to Zoë's world. They thought she was insane. In Zoë's world, there aren't any Japanese at all with hair and eyes like hers--or mine--and there was no record of her existing." 

"When they let her out of the asylum, they put her in foster homes. They made her change her name. She started to believe she was crazy, that she really was an American girl who thought she was a cartoon character." 

"But then she found Chibi-Usa. She'd come there too, and they'd done about the same thing to her." 

"Chibi-Usa?" asked Ginger. "You mean, _Sarah_? I've heard you all call her that. And 'little moon.'" 

"Yes. And no," said the little man. 

Makoto continued. "Usagi got closer to Chibi-Usa than ever. And then . . . Chibi-Usa died. She died fighting a horrible monster. It also killed Zoë's real mother. Chibi-Usa gave her life trying to save her." 

"That thing killed my granddaughter as well," said the little man. "Fortunately, it is very hard to keep Argent dead. With Sailor Moon's help and some others, it was destroyed. Or at least, dispersed so much it will take a long time for it to find a new host." 

"Host?" asked Carmen. 

Alvarson said, "My granddaughter and her colleagues in her coven have been looking into the nature of that particular beast. It needs to find a suitable host to manifest. Unfortunately, its favorite type is rather common among the worlds. It likes serial killers. Loners with a desire for unnatural acts, and unnatural powers. It seems to take years to complete its possession, and many things could spoil its prospective host." 

"It might be a species, not just a monster. That is why Sailor Moon spends so much time hunting now. And why she kills so much now. She doesn't want to miss one of these things." The little man sighed. "But in truth, what she does isn't likely to catch one early, no matter how much it does for the victims of ordinary monsters. Like the one who took your sister, Ms. Gonsoles." 

Carmen said, "Ginny, when I said they brought her back, I really meant they _brought her back._ Aly was _dead_." 

"It does not always work," said Makoto. "I saw many times when it did not." 

"No, it does not always work. That's the reason my Grey Company does not offer it as part of our normal services," explained the little man. "But let us return to the reason you, Ms. Han, and you, Mr. Chiba, are facing such disagreeable choices. Sailor Moon will not marry you, Mr. Chiba, because she is not sure that doing that won't bring back Crystal Tokyo. If that happens, she thinks Chibi Moon will stop maturing as she did in her last incarnation, and will eventually come back to Argent's world to be killed. Sailor Moon is particularly worried about that now because Chibi Moon has not grown much in the past few years." 

"But she is not the same," said Mamoru. "Sarah is not my biological child. And Kimberly has no resemblance--" 

The little man shook his head. "Sarah and Chibi-Usa have the same soul. Argent is _never_ wrong about these things. And I have used my special talent with Time to divine her nature. Chibi-Usa was _never_ your child, at least of your loins. Sailor Moon sensed that the moment she first held the child in her arms." 

Makoto said, "Mamoru, I know that Ami told you what Usagi told us, but it was worse than Usagi is willing to say. Nancy, who is Chibi-Usa's aunt, saw her die, and _felt_ her pain. Usagi must have felt more of it. You have always loved Chibi-Usa as if she were your own. If you had felt Chibi-Usa's pain, I think you would feel as Usagi feels. You would do _anything_ to keep it from happening again." 

"Yes . . . but what to do?" asked Mamoru. "What _not_ to do? Dr. Alvarson, you are the Founder of the Grey Company. You have lived for thousands of years, visited countless worlds, traveled in time, seen things we can't imagine. You said you would give us an answer, if you could. Do you have an answer?" 

The ageless little man said, "No. Not a simple one. Not a complete one." 

"What can you tell us?" asked Mamoru.

The little man got up and refilled his cup before speaking again. "Divination is not my special strength. My daughter was a natural master at it . . . " He seemed to lose focus for a moment. "But I am not. Sailor Mars has more natural talent for it than me, though she will need much more experience to be reliable. But I have a gift for the magics of Time, and it does give me some insights." 

"The first is not going to be comforting. There is a strong bias in Chibi-Usa's lifeline to repeat the cycle, even if her lifepath is quite different up to the loop. I think she has repeated it before." 

"The second is that it is possible to create Crystal Tokyo again, or something resembling it. But my advice is to avoid it. Crystal Tokyo depended on the separation that created the Negamoon, and perhaps even the Tau system. If you create a different version, you will almost certainly create a different evil to oppose it--perhaps a worse one. Great magics like the one which created Crystal Tokyo or the Moon Kingdom nearly always lead to disaster--take it from one who is responsible for some of the worst!" 

Ginger managed to get some words in. "Would Mamoru's marrying Usagi make that more likely? I mean, what do your powers tell you?" 

Alvarson said, "Nothing about that. But logic tells me that if Mamoru marries Usagi or any of the other _senshi,_ it would seem to make it more likely." The little wizard added, "My powers and arts don't give me any special insight into the union between yourself and Mamoru, Ms. Han." 

* * *

Makoto, and Naru, who had quietly returned, stayed up with Dr. Alvarson. Carmen and Ginger followed Mamoru back to his room, where he returned to his bed after briefly rousing the children--Sarah, who was Chibi-Usa; her half-sister Kimberly, and Mamoru's child by Minako, Ishtar. Chibi-Usa did not fail to give Ginger another one of her hostile looks, but it softened into sadness before she turned over and wriggled close to Mamoru. 

It was a warm night; they left a window open. Still awake as the sky began glowing, Ginger and Carmen heard a flurry of shots--and then some large explosions. Five minutes later, they caught Sailor Venus flying in--carrying Sailor Moon. 

Ginger was aghast when she got her first close look at Sailor Moon. She was oozing blood, barely aware. 

"What happened?" shouted Mamoru. 

Venus answered, "She saw a gang start to shoot up a place, and she dived in--but there was another bunch of them in two more cars." 

Ginger was more in her element here. "She took four bullets here . . . what did this?" 

"One of them had a very big gun," answered Venus. "Is she going to be all right?" 

Carmen said, "She needs to get to a hospital! Hotaru, no, get--" 

"I can help," said the girl. 

Hotaru laid hands on Usagi--she had transformed back, and Ginger thought in a part of her mind that it must be from losing consciousness. Ginger watched as bullets wormed out and wounds closed. But not all of them. "That helped, but . . . this one. I think the bullet is still in. I think . . ." Ginger had been feeling around the wound, but now she closed her eyes and said no more. The bullet had to be in Usagi's spine. 

The little man came up, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Feel just the bullet in your hand. Now, draw it out." 

Ginger Han could feel something in her hand. She opened her eyes and saw her wrist buried in Usagi's back. She withdrew it gently, slowly, and saw as the hand emerged that it was not inside the wound, really--it was as if Usagi's back was a pool of calm water. Once her hand was out, she opened her grip, and saw she was holding a massive bullet, as large as her thumb. She let it drop from her hand. 

Ginger looked at the wound. Blood and fluid began to well from it. Hotaru laid her hands on and the flow slowed to a trickle. But then Hotaru said "That is all I can do." 

Ginger re-examined the wound as best she could. "So far so good. If no one has called 911 yet, do it now. She's lost a lot of blood and moving her without immobilizing her back is a bad idea." 

Suddenly Ginger found herself staring into a pair of familiar light-brown eyes: Chibi-Usa's. A crescent glowed on her brow as she asked, "Is _okasan_ going to die?" 

"She should be all right when we get her to a hospital--" 

Ginger Han realized she was now in a hospital. Stanford Hospital. Specifically, she was kneeling between Chibi-Usa and Usagi on the floor in front of the Admissions desk. 

* * *

THE ADMISSIONS CLERK slumped into her chair with rolled-back eyes. Ginger grabbed the phone and sent out a page, then got the Emergency Room. From then on, what occupied her mind was keeping Usagi and Chibi-Usa safe until Usagi was carried off to surgery. 

Then Ginger Han got to talk to a couple of cops. But she was surprised--the cops seemed to suggest what had happened, and she simply agreed. They went away with a plausible story: Usagi had been visiting her; she went outside to check for the paper; she was shot. Of course, it was complete b.s. Then Ginger remembered something Carmen had told her the night before . . . she asked Chibi-Usa, "Sarah, did you do something to the policemen?" 

Chibi-Usa answered, "I think so. I just wanted them to go away quickly. I could hear a little of what they were thinking. I'm not as good as I was before." 

"Before?" asked Ginger.

The girl said, "Before, when I was with _okasan_ at the foster home and then Aunt Nancy, when she was young." 

"You remember that?" This was something that had happened in her former life.

Chibi-Usa said, "Some of it. Some of it I heard from Auntie Nancy. I don't tell _okasan_ about it any more. She worries all the time about me. When I told her before about remembering things, she worried more. Is she going to get better?" 

"Yes, I think so. She might not be able to walk . . . I don't know." Ginger knelt down and hugged the child. 

"_Okasan_ was right," said Sarah, drifting into English again. "You have a good heart. Thank you for helping her." 

* * *

Ginger Han's troubles were far from over. More policemen came to see here in the next weeks, and she was very afraid for awhile that she would be dropped from the residency program for exercising such poor judgment by bringing her friend to the hospital herself rather than getting emergency help. Perhaps the unqualified support Ms. Han received from the Tsukino family persuaded the hospital to let her off with a reprimand. It might have been something else. Ginger now began to notice a that a large portion of the unobtrusive brass plates scattered around the hospital credited donations from "Dr. D. A. Alvarson" or "The Grey Company." 

In the meantime, Ginger Han, and of course Carmen Gonsoles and Mamoru Chiba, had to cope with the relentless cycle of training and work that would transform them either into certified physicians or burnt-out failures. Somehow in the midst of all this Ginger found time and opportunity to share Mamoru's bed for one transcendent night. But after that one night, she was torn in even more ways. She put her head down, metaphorically speaking, and concentrated on getting through another year of her residency. 

But there was yet another difficult choice for Ginger Han to make as Christmas approached . . . 

* * *

**Next:** The conclusion of the story. 

* * *

**Send Comments to: [sewell_thomas@hotmail.com][1]  
Site: [http://www.geocities.com/oldgringo2001/dream/][2]**

   [1]: mailto:sewell_thomas@hotmail.com
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	5. A Family Occasion

**Under Black Wings, Conclusion**

**A Sailor Moon Fan Fiction by Thomas Sewell**  
[**sewell_thomas@hotmail.com**][1]

...... = _thought quotation_

**Chapter13: A Family Occasion **

THE FIRST PERSON Ginger told of her new problem was Carmen Gonsoles, now crammed into her tiny apartment as an alternative to the killing commute from Kensington. 

"You had unprotected sex?" asked Carmen.

"No, but we broke a condom," explained Ginger Han.

Carmen sighed, and said, "You haven't told him, have you?" 

"No." 

Carmen said, "Good. If you aren't going to have it, he doesn't have to know. If he does know--" 

Ginger said, "I've talked to Minako a few times. I know what he'll do if he finds out." 

Carmen said, "So do you want me to make an appointment for you?" 

Ginger said, "No. Not yet. I haven't decided." 

Carmen looked at her friend for awhile before speaking again. "There are so many good reasons not to have it. For you _and_ Mamoru. In case you don't understand, if Mamoru gets booted out of here, that will finish him as a doctor. I've been around long enough to know there are a few people here who don't like him. And don't think you can pass it off as someone else's." 

Ginger said, "I know that . . . but if we get married, they won't be able to touch him." 

Carmen said, "That's your plan? A shotgun wedding? How romantic!" 

Ginger said, "That's not the point. The point is . . . " 

Carmen said, "You've decided, haven't you?" 

Ginger said, "Yes. I guess." 

Carmen said, "Why? It's not like--" 

Ginger said, "Like I haven't gotten rid of my little _problems_ before? No, it's not like that. But what if this is my last chance? When have I ever been with a right guy before? And even if he isn't . . . you've seen Zoë. Her mother could have been the poster girl for pro-choice; you know the story, don't you? But look at Zoë now . . . You've never had to make this choice, Carmy." 

Carmen said carefully, "No, I haven't . . . who are you going to tell next? Your parents?" 

Ginger said, "No. Usagi and Minako." 

Carmen said, "Well, _that_ should be an easy one." 

Ginger stage laughed. "Ha. Ha . . . I guess it can wait until Christmas when we stay over. I don't want do do it over the phone." 

Carmen said, "Well, that should be jolly. Especially since your _parents_ will be there too. Not to mention Mamoru." 

* * *

But Ginger wound up telling Ami next, because she was in the hospital a lot and guessed what was going on. Ami didn't want to tell anyone over the phone, either, but of course, she couldn't keep it from her husband, and he couldn't keep it from Umino, and he couldn't keep it from Naru. But Naru could keep her mouth shut. 

Of course, Usagi could listen to Naru's thoughts . . . 

* * *

Usagi's poor decision at the end of summer did not only affect herself. Besides reversing Chibi-Usa's feelings toward the new woman in Mamoru's life, and probably driving Mamoru and Ginger together, it started an arms race and a war between the two biggest gangs in California. Convinced that their rivals must have used heavy weapons to ambush the group sent out to destroy what was supposed to be an independent operation after fair warning was given, the gang that wore blue got rocket launchers and then used them on the gang that wore red. The reds discovered that mortars were even better for making sudden surprise attacks, and remarkably inexpensive and easy to find, once they started shopping overseas. 

Another result was that after even most people in Japan stopped believing in Sailor Fighters, plenty of people in the United States started believing, because the other _senshi _did what they could to stop the gang war. They couldn't stay hidden while they were fighting the gangs. Life became a lot more interesting for the _senshi_ than they wanted. Police were _especially_ interested . . . 

But things were quiet in December. The two big gangs were big because they made money on drugs, and a big war was bad for their business. They made another truce. 

The first thing the blues and the reds agreed on was that they should get those Sailor girls when they could . . . 

* * *

To make the season extra-merry, the unions celebrated the merger of the rail and bus services around San Francisco Bay into the GBATA (Greater Bay Area Transit Authority) by going out on strike. This made the beginning of Ginger's holidays very memorable, as she rode with Mamoru, Carmen, and Ami in his tiny old car in the worst traffic jam since the '89 earthquake. As she was puking outside the car for the third time, a motorcycle cop rolled up and started asking her what was wrong, and wouldn't stop. Finally she screamed at the cop, "I'm pregnant!" 

That's how Mamoru learned. 

* * *

At legal limits, one can drive from Palo Alto to Kensington in a little more than an hour--the little township is high up in the Berkeley Hills, and not close to any freeway. 

Nearly five hours after setting out, Mamoru's car at last pulled in front of the mansion. It was after eleven. Ginger Han saw that the first persons coming out of the front door to meet them were her parents. 

* * *

Ginger Han's parents were George Han, a second-generation Chinese-American, and Pamela Fine, who came from one of Boston's oldest and richest Jewish families. They had been married for 42 years when they stepped outside the mansion they'd discovered was where most of their daughter's new friends lived. Ginger was their only child, a surprise to everyone including themselves when she'd come along; they had not been taking heroic measures to have children. If Ginger had come along earlier, she might have inspired a reconciliation with their families. 

When George and Pamela married, the only White-Asian marriages that had any kind of popular acceptance were white men with Asian women. The still-remembered images of Fu Manchu or Ming of Mongo lusting over white maidens made the only safe choices for Asian men in the United States Asian women or celibacy. And, for George's parents, it was simply unthinkable that he would not marry a good Chinese girl, preferably the daughter of one of their friends. 

Pamela Fine's parents' liberalism and free-thinking had vanished the instant she brought George home. Only one of her old girlfriends had married a gentile, at least the first time, so she had thought she knew what to expect. She had been wrong. After that day, she spoke to her parents only a few times before they died. 

By the time Ginger had come along, her only living grandparent was George's mother. She actually moved in with them, but died when Ginger was four. George's father had not spoken to him from the day they were married until his death. 

Ginger Han had been blessed with a Chinese name (Mei) and a Hebrew name (Gila) but not with the closest relationship with her parents. Shunned by family, and cut off from connections, they had already built a life and a career together as architects when Ginger came. After her grandmother died, she was raised mostly by nannies, who taught her Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, and working-class Hebrew, depending on which country her parents were working in, or where the nannies had immigrated from. Her last nannies also helped her get her first two abortions without her parents finding out. 

* * *

"Mom, Dad," Ginger said as they took turns embracing her. 

"We thought you'd never get here!" said her mother. 

Ginger said, "Well, everyone's late tonight. When did you get in?" 

"Our plane landed at four," said her father, "but we didn't get here until eight. We were on the bridge for over two hours." 

"Yes . . . This is an _interesting _situation," said her mother. "Did you know how many would be coming here for the holidays?" 

It _was_ more crowded than usual inside. She saw the little man, Dr. Alvarson, far across the great front room, among with some children and some women, including a very tall one with silvery gray hair, with a spray of feathers showing. 

Ginger also saw someone pushing Usagi's wheelchair who gave her a double take. Familiar long strawberry-blonde hair, in braids, but a little taller than herself. Then Chibi-Usa came up to her, and said, "Auntie Nancy came, Auntie Ginger." Ginger automatically picked up Chibi-Usa and exchanged cheek-kisses as she went to Usagi and the woman she had heard of but never met, glancing back to see startled looks on the faces of her parents. _Well, if you wonder why I like kids so much suddenly . . . _

"Well, hello, stranger. I'm Ginger. Have you met my parents yet?" 

Nancy Uer said, "Yes, I have. From what I hear, your daughter is the one to thank for keeping my Sis here above the sod." 

Ginger said modestly, "Not just me. I helped a little, maybe." 

Chibi-Usa said, "Kimi wants a kiss too." 

"Well, I'll just have to give her one," said Ginger, setting down Chibi-Usa and picking up Kimberly, a child who seldom spoke first. 

Usagi spoke up. "Have you met Mamoru yet, Mr. and Mrs. Han?" 

"Mamoro?" asked Ginger's father. 

"She means the boy who drove Gin here, dear," explained Ginger's mother. "Is he staying?" 

Usagi said, "Yes. It took some shuffling, but I managed to get you a room for just you two. I'm afraid it's in the loft." 

"The loft?" said Ginger's mother. "I thought we were staying with Mr. and Mrs. Kumada." 

Usagi said, "I meant for Gin-chan and Mamo-chan. Since they are going to be married very soon, I think it is only right." 

All Ginger could do for the moment was look back at her parents and shrug helplessly. But whatever ironic humor of the moment was spoiled when Usagi's children kissed and hugged her, and Chibi-Usa said with tears streaming, "I am happy for you, Auntie Ginger." 

* * *

A small, warm dormer room on a rainy night should have been an ideal place for her Ginger Han's night with the man she wanted more than any other. But she just sat in his arms, saying nothing. Finally she got up and said, "I need to talk to Usagi." 

"Will she still be awake?" asked Mamoru.

"Do you really need to ask?" she said, pulling on her robe. "Please, don't come down." 

There they were, in the kitchen, much as they had been on the last night Usagi had walked: The little man, Carmen, Usagi, Minako, and Mako. No ice cream; Usagi was doing some embroidery, wearing the glasses she wore more and more since her injury. There were new faces: the gray-haired lady, who did not have the face or body that went with gray hair. She was Dr. Argent Goodman, the Grey Lady of legend, the one who could sometimes raise the dead. And Nancy, of whom she had heard much, the brother of Chibi-Usa's father. 

Without looking up from her work, Usagi said, "You cannot sleep?" 

Ginger said, "I need to talk to you, Usagi. Alone." 

Usagi spoke again without looking. "I trust everyone here." 

Ginger said, "Okay, if that's how you want it. But I need to say some things." 

Usagi said, "Say them. I am not going anywhere." 

Ginger Han poured herself some coffee, more to make a pause than for the caffeine rush. After the obligatory sip, she began. "The one who should be marrying Mamoru is you, Usagi." 

"That is not to be. You know why." Usagi continued to sew. 

Ginger said, "I know why you think so. But you are _wrong_. Unless Doctor Alvarson here has a better answer?" 

"About this, no," said the little man.

Ginger said, "Then listen to me. I don't apologize for loving Mamoru. I'm going to have this baby. But I'm not going to listen to him say your name in his sleep for the rest of his life. And you won't lay any guilt trips on me. You almost threw away your life because you can't stand living without Mamoru. How is that going to help Chibi Moon break her cycle? The only reason she had a chance last time was because you were there for her." 

Usagi finally looked at Ginger. "What could I do _now?_" 

Ginger said, "You can't be sure you won't recover. Not with the kind of magic I've seen here. But even if you never walk again, you are Chibi's _mother_. If you give up, you teach Chibi to give up. I know you now. Losing your legs doesn't mean _anything_ compared to losing Mamoru. And you are breaking Chibi's heart. I won't help you do that." 

"The one thing that is going to make this mess better is for you to marry Mamoru. My advice, for what is worth, is to get some sleep, and get Rei's hubby to drive you to Reno in the morning. You'll be married by tomorrow night. Now, someone find me a blanket. I'm going to crash in on one of the couches. Unless you want me to send Mamoru down. You _should_ sleep together. After all, you are going to be married soon!" 

Ginger turned around to make her exit, but found herself looking into Mamoru's chest. That gave her a second's pause, but she sidestepped him and walked out. She found a couch with an afghan, laid down on it, and pulled it over herself. She surprised herself by actually going to sleep, possibly because she had expended her very last reserve of energy making her arguments to Usagi. 

* * *

Someone was shaking Ginger. "What? What's wrong?" She opened her eyes. It was still dark, and she felt sick. Trying to control her gorge, she sat up. 

It was Usagi. "Get some warm clothes on." 

Ginger pleaded, "Now? It's still dark." 

Usagi insisted, "Yes, that is why you have to hurry. _Do it_." 

Her gorge forgotten, Ginger jumped to get the warmest outfit she'd brought. When she scrambled back down, beginning to wonder what was going on, the first thing she saw was Hotaru kissing Shingo—she was dressed in a skirted leotard, and holding a bladed something on a pole more than twice her height. 

"Come one, come on!" It was Usagi, with Naru behind her wheelchair; they were both dressed warmly as well. 

Ginger came down to them. "Where are we going?" 

"To take your advice," said Usagi. 

"My parents--" Ginger started to say.

The lights came on in the front room. Hotaru was there, along with others similarly dressed. Minako had her wings--and Nancy, and two more Ginger didn't really know yet. They were forming a circle. 

"We must be in the center," said Usagi. "Come, come." Naru pushed Usagi into the center of the circle. There were more strangers there, women she had not seen before at all, even in the short span before she had tried to spend the night with Mamoru. 

"Do you have enough?" said the little man, with a laugh behind his voice that Ginger could not mistake even at this moment. 

"I will help!" called a child. Chibi-Usa ran to the tiny gap in the circle between Hotaru and Setsuna. "See, _okasan_? I can do it now!" And Chibi-Usa transformed . . . 

. . . into a tiny Death Angel. 

A moment later, they were elsewhere. 

* * *

**Chapter 14: The Wedding Party **

"WHERE ARE WE?" 

Several people asked that question at once. After a moment, Sailor Mercury answered. "Las Vegas." 

"I have never been to Reno," said Chibi Moon. "Come on, we need find a place to marry _okasan_ and Mamo-chan." She flew off. 

"Chibi-Usa!" shouted Usagi, but her daughter was already too far away. 

* * *

Jay C. Niles had just stolen a Jaguar he was planning to sell for parts in Los Angeles after a pleasant drive home when he saw about two dozen people appear out of thin air. He pulled over, and began fumbling for his gun. One of them flew up to him on black wings, and had red-eyed skulls growing out of her head. She asked, "Where do you go to get married?" 

Two more angels flew up to him. Instead of answering, he passed out. 

* * *

Sailor Venus said, "You shouldn't have flown up to him like that. You scared him." 

Chibi Moon said, "I don't think he was going to tell us, anyway. He stole this car. We'll have to find someone else." 

"Maybe not," said Nancy, lifting a cellphone from Jay C.'s belt. 

"Let's see what else he has," said Sailor Venus. "Look at this! Chibi-Usa, you could have been hurt! Don't fly off again!" Venus ejected the clip, tossed the gun in the air and cut it in half with a crescent beam, and then continued to rifle Jay C.'s clothing. "Here's something I think we can use." She handed a short prybar to Sailor Jupiter, who pushed it through the steering wheel of the car, brought up one of Jay C.'s wrists, and bent it into an impromptu manacle. 

"Set me down. The shoulder looks pretty hard here," said Usagi to the Asteroid Senshi, who had carried her and her wheelchair across the soft ground they had landed in. 

"No," said Mercury. "On the other side. The nearest wedding chapel is that way." 

"Oh, of course," muttered ParaPara. "When _I_ get married, I'm gonna have you guys carry me all through my honeymoon." 

"Oh, shut up," said Besu. 

"Hey, aren't you supposed to walk on the side _facing_ traffic?," said Juno. 

"But we _are_ on that side," said Sere. 

"If we were still in _Japan_," said Cooan. "You really should get out more." 

"I'm calling a cab," said Nancy. 

"No, don't," said Mercury. "I just ordered a limousine." 

"How are you going to pay for it?" asked Nancy, pulling some money from her ample cleavage. 

"With this," said Mercury, pulling a credit card from her more modest endowment. "I never leave home without it." 

* * *

The limo driver did not think it was that odd to pick up two dozen or so people, mostly scantily-clad women, in the longest stretch in town. Las Vegas, Nevada was the one place on earth where that sight wouldn't elicit much comment; only minor speculation about whether they were showgirls, exotic dancers, or hookers. Even the wings didn't phase the limo driver: angels were still a popular variation on the showgirl look. And the Limo driver knew just about every wedding chapel in Las Vegas. Noticing that the bride was holding a bouquet of roses, he recommended the Rose Love Chapel from the list of chapels he took kickbacks from. 

So, that is where Tsukino Usagi and Chiba Mamoru were finally married, just before a truck driver and a hooker looking to change her life, and just after two high-school sweethearts who would separate a week later. Everyone in the party got a copy of the wedding picture, which was so pleasing that the people who ran the place made an extra copy to put on permanent display. 

The old harridan who was really in charge misted up as she watched the party leave. Show people, like she had been long ago, the bride obviously another showgirl who had been put on such hard times by her disability she had had to put her daughter to work. Probably her friends had blown most of their combined week's pay to hire the limo for this one magic moment. She hoped the bride kept some of the magic. 

Makoto had caught the bouquet. 

* * *

The LVPD found Jay C. Niles a few minutes before the wedding was over. They couldn't charge him with car theft, based on what they found, but they were able to take him into custody because of the delusional behavior he was showing. While he was in a locked ward, more evidence turned up, enough to justify revoking his parole. He was transferred to a California psychiatric prison until he wised up and shut up about the angels; then he got to go back into the regular prison system. 

* * *

The limo driver wanted to steer his fares to a hotel, but they insisted on going to the airport. He was surprised when _everyone_ got out and one of the showgirls paid with a company credit card. Since she wrote in a generous tip, he was able to contain his curiosity. 

Once the limo driver was gone, the wedding party made their way to a parking garage and teleported back home as soon as no one was around. 

* * *

Some hours after the wedding party reappeared in the main room of the mansion, while Mamoru and Usagi still slept their first married sleep, and while Ginger was having a quiet conversation about single motherhood with Minako and Makoto over morning tea, a doctor unwound the bandage around the eyes of Kevin Jones. Jones saw with his own eyes for the first time since the night he was found by a burning car by paramedics. And the first sight to greet his eyes were the faces of his mother and his brother Marvell. He reached out to them and saw what his hands had become--and at how little was left of them. 

He began to cry. And in his mother's arms, he repeated, "I got one of them, Marvell. I know it. I got one." 

"We'll get the other ones, Kev," said Marvell. "We be lookin'." 

* * *

**The story will resume in Book Three: Nurse Venus**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The first four chapters of this story started out as a prologue to **Sailor Moon's American Dream**, but I decided it would ruin the suspense, so they became part of this sequel. Actually, **Dream** originally had an epilogue with Nancy (Moon Angel Alpha in her world) getting a letter from Usagi after she had had Chibi-usa/Sarah, but I decided that the events portrayed there would lead in a different direction.

I did write some stuff showing Usagi on her night-hunts, but I thought better of it. The scene in Chapter Four (the end of Part One as posted here) is enough shock to get the point across about how much the experience of losing Chibi-usa has changed Usagi.

I was trying to give all the other Sailors featured chapters, but I'm afraid I shortchanged some of them, particularly Makoto. She gets a chapter in the next book, though, so stay tuned.

I've left a giant hook for a Makoto story in the future, about how she came to bring Zoë back from her world, and why. If someone out there in fanfic land wants to lend a hand, tell me about it. As I more or less say in the disclaimer at the bottom of my home page, you're welcome to play around in my universe as long as you play nice.

My next post on Fanfiction.net will either be **Nurse Venus**, Book Three in my saga, or the short story **Angel of Death**. AOD is not as grim as it may sound; in fact, it has no violence at all and just a few instances of appropriate but possibly offensive language. It's a side story with a bittersweet ending, and it makes a good companion piece to the story you just finished.

You can read all the current versions of my stories at my site:

[http://www.geocities.com/oldgringo2001/dream/][2]

If you'd like to send me an email, use [oldgringo2001@yahoo.com][3] or [sewell_thomas@hotmail.com][1].

   [1]: mailto:sewell_thomas@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/oldgringo2001/dream/
   [3]: mailto:oldgringo2001@yahoo.com



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